HUD PIH Extends Time to Spend Some CARES Act Public Housing and Voucher Funds

HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) posted Notice PIH-2020-24 extending the deadline for public housing agencies (PHAs) to spend CARES Act supplemental Public Housing Operating Funds  and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Administrative funds for certain activities. The notice, posted on September 14, also covers many other topics that are not of immediate interest to residents and advocates.

CARES Act Supplemental Public Housing Operating Fund. Notice PIH-2020-24 extends the time PHAs have to spend these funds to December 31, 2121. Notice PIH-2020-07 required funds to be spent by December 31, 2020 (see Memo, 5/4). In addition, through December 31, 2021, PHAs may use any available Public Housing Capital Funds and Operating Funds appropriated in FY20 and prior fiscal years for any eligible Capital Fund or Operating Fund expense, as well as for the expanded coronavirus-related expenses included in Notice PIH-2020-07, Section 6 (page 5). Section 6 listed various activities related to preparing for, preventing, and responding to the coronavirus. The notice also clarifies that Notice PIH-2020-07 used the formal term “Period of Performance” instead of “Period of Availability,” but both terms have the same meaning.

CARES Act Supplemental Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Administrative Fee Funds. Notice PIH 2020-24 extends from June 30, 2021 to December 31, 2021:

  • The time PHAs have to spend HCV supplemental HAP funds awarded under the Extraordinary Circumstances category covering increased voucher per-unit costs (PUC) due to the coronavirus (including for Mainstream vouchers), as described in Section 4 of Notice PIH-2020-17 (see Memo, 8/10). However, Shortfall funds, the other category, continue to only remain available through December 31, 2020.
  • The time PHAs have to spend all supplemental CARES Act Administrative fees (including for Mainstream vouchers). Section 6 of Notice PIH-2020-18 (see Memo, 8/10) required PHAs to spend by June 30, 2021, the second $472 million allocation of Administrative fee funding as well as any unspent funds from the first $378 million awarded under Notice PIH-2020-08 (see Memo, 5/4).  

All other guidance in Notices 2020-07, 2020-17 and 2020-18 (which supersedes Notice PIH 2020-08) remain in effect.

Notice PIH-2020-24 is at: https://bit.ly/33vgsz7

More information about Public Housing is on page 4-30 of NLIHC’s 2020 Advocates’ Guide.

More information about Housing Choice Vouchers is on page 4-1 of NLIHC’s 2020 Advocates’ Guide.

More information about Mainstream vouchers is on page 4-23 of NLIHC’s 2020 Advocates’ Guide.