HUD Limits Availability of Tenant Protection Vouchers

HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) will only make tenant protection vouchers available for units that are occupied at the time:

  • A public housing agency (PHA) applies to demolish or otherwise dispose of public housing units; or
  • Multifamily Housing units are converted due to “eligibility events” such as an owner opting out of renewing a Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment contract or prepaying an FHA-insured mortgage.

Appropriations Act language allows tenant protection vouchers to be used for units that are unoccupied at the time units become unavailable as public or assisted housing, but were occupied sometime during the previous two years. However, due to reduced funding in the FY13 Appropriations Act, Notice PIH 2013-12, issued on May 23, 2013, limits replacement vouchers to occupied units. As a result of sequestration and a 0.2% across-the-board rescission, only $71 million (instead of $75 million) are available for tenant protection vouchers.The notice also explains how PIH will:

  • Calculate calendar year 2013 voucher renewal funding.
  • Allocate a $103 million set-aside for five categories of adjustments:
  1. Prevention of voucher terminations due to a PHA having insufficient funds (see Memo, 5/3). This category is a priority.
  2. Unforeseen circumstances such as significant increases in rental costs or sharp decreases in rents tenants are able to pay due to economic conditions.
  3. Significant increases in voucher renewal costs due to portability costs.
  4. Holding vouchers in anticipation of project basing them for newly constructed or rehabilitated housing.
  5. Meeting HUD-VASH renewal costs that exceed regular voucher costs.
  • Fund voucher administration costs. New this year, PHAs that have accepted a significant number of residents with vouchers from another PHA will receive special fees, to be specified later in letters to PHAs.
  • Allocate Family Self-Sufficiency funds via a Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA).
  • Allocate Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers.
  • Fund Mainstream 5-Year vouchers (renewal of Section 811 vouchers).

View Notice PIH 2013-12 at: http://1.usa.gov/ZBjOwr