The HUD Appropriations Act, 2014, enacted into law on January 17, 2014, amends the USHA of 1937, to reform certain HUD programs, including HUD's public housing and section 8 tenant-based voucher programs. These initiatives are based on a comprehensive HUD review of these programs and are designed to provide Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) greater flexibility to enhance their capacity to respond to local housing needs and promote program efficiencies. For public housing, these initiatives include amending the flat rent provision to set a floor of 80 percent of the applicable fair market rent. PHAs must phase in flat rents to ensure that a family's existing rental payment does not increase by more than 35 percent per year. The definition of "public housing agency" is amended to include a "consortia consortium of PHAs." Initiatives affecting the Housing Choice Voucher Program include permitting biennial inspections and allowing the use of alternative Federal inspection standards. Revisions to the Section 8 utility allowance will allow for tenant-paid utilities not to exceed the appropriate utility allowance for the family unit size as determined by the PHA, regardless of the size of the dwelling unit leased by the family. For assisted housing programs, HUD will add a definition of extremely low income families, that will not exceed the higher of the poverty guidelines updated periodically by the Department of Health and Human Services or 30 percent of the median family income for the area.