HUD has posted the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Roadmap, a collection of one-page guides designed to help stakeholders understand the main components of the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program created by the “American Rescue Plan Act.” Seven short guides are currently available, and two more are scheduled to be released soon.
Approximately 70,000 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) are being provided to public housing agencies (PHAs) to assist households that are either experiencing homelessness; at risk of homelessness; fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking; or that were recently homeless or have a high risk of housing instability (see Memo, 5/10/21). EHVs require Continuums of Care (CoCs) and PHAs to work together to house eligible EHV populations quickly. A PHA must receive a referral from a CoC, and an EHV provides funds to pay for ongoing rental assistance as well as services to support households in the lease-up process. The assistance can be used to help with the housing search, move-in costs, landlord outreach and incentives, and tenant readiness services.
The six guides currently available provide overviews of the EHV program, PHA administrative fees, regulation waivers and alternative requirements, the referral process, partnerships among PHAs, CoCs, and Victims Services Providers (VSPs), pairing services, and considerations for rural areas. Forthcoming guides will focus on services for survivors of domestic violence and on advancing equity.
Implementation of the EHV program is directed by Notice PIH 2021-15. HUD posted in March 2022 a detailed guide on EHVs, Emergency Housing Vouchers: A How-To Guide for Public Housing Agencies (see Memo, 3/14).
Read the EHV Roadmap at: https://bit.ly/3XbnNi9
Access HUD’s EHV website at: https://www.hud.gov/ehv