1.   HUD officials say that they expect a similar shift nationwide and that any decrease in the number of apartments will be offset by subsidized rental vouchers.

2.   The voucher expansion comes almost simultaneously with the announcement Monday of a new program devised by HUD through which rental assistance vouchers can be used to purchase homes.

3.   HUD also has increased fair market rents in certain high-income areas, in effect, increasing the value of the rental voucher.

4.   --Let residents and public housing authorities use rental vouchers -- used to pay rents -- for a down payment on a house or for mortgage payments.