Potential Losses From the Rental Housing Inventory: Soundness of Current Estimates

GAO discussed its efforts to measure potential losses in federally subsidized units from low- and moderate-income rental housing. GAO noted that: (1) the actual effect of prepayments on the properties or tenants involved was unknown; (2) estimated probable losses were low and based on expected maximum losses; (3) prepayments could cause the loss of about 367,000 units from the housing inventory; (4) the estimates were weak and subject to error; and (5) the prepayment problems varied locally in relation to opportunities available to property owners.