HUD Announced 70,000 Emergency Housing Vouchers. Read These Tips to Access Them.

With funds from the American Rescue Plan that President Biden signed earlier this year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced a second $5 billion investment in ending homelessness.

The first was allocated toward increasing the supply of affordable housing through the HOME Investments Partnership Program . This latest allocation is for 70,000 emergency housing vouchers spread across nearly 700 public housing authorities.

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge made the announcement during a video call with state and local officials.

“While most of us spent more time in our homes than we ever have, more than half a million Americans had to spend the last year either in crowded shelters or sleeping outside,” she said. “We are providing communities the resources to give homes to the people who have had to endure the COVID-19 pandemic without one.”

Even before the pandemic, the number of people experiencing homelessness had been on the rise since 2016 — and for the first time since the U.S. began counting the homeless, more people were living on the streets and in cars in 2020 than in shelters or other temporary housing.

Fudge also expressed support for Biden’s infrastructure package : “Congress now needs to pass the President’s American Jobs Plan. This once-in-a-generation investment would bring the United States closer to ending homelessness and housing instability.”

The emergency vouchers are available for people who are:

• Homeless or at high risk of becoming homeless
• Fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking
• Recently homeless and at high risk of housing instability

They should be distributed with the goal of advancing racial equity.

If you work with a public housing authority (PHA) or Continuum of Care (CoC), follow these steps:

• Check to see if your local PHA is on the list of grantees.
• Watch this YouTube video to learn how to accept, or decline, the vouchers.
• Don’t miss May 24! That’s the last day to notify HUD whether you’re accepting the vouchers—and how many.
• Register for one of HUD’s webinars that walk PHAs and CoCs through the steps to maximize the use of the vouchers. If you miss one, you can watch them later.
• Sign up for these email alerts to stay informed about: HUD deadlines, policies, and trainings ; SNAPS programs ; SNAPS competitions
• Email EHV@hud.gov with questions or comments.

USICH is also here to help. Contact your local USICH coordinator for help establishing partnerships and leveraging resources.

Photo: HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge (Shutterstock)

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