What are Emergency Housing Vouchers?
Created in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program issued 70,000 vouchers to provide housing assistance to individuals and families who were (or had been) homeless, at-risk of homelessness or housing instability, fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking.
Current Status
In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) would receive their final funding allocation for EHVs and indicated that it anticipated funds would be depleted by the end of FY2026. Although originally projected to be available until the end of FY2030, funds were expended more quickly due largely to the rapid increase of rent over the last four years.
Unless additional funding is allocated by Congress, HUD estimates that funding for the program will likely be depleted in 2026. This would place the more than 56,000 individuals and families currently being assisted by the program at imminent risk of homelessness when the funds run out. As of right now, neither the House nor the Senate has allocated the resources needed to adequately fund EHV households through 2026 in their appropriation bills.
Impact of EHVs Locally
The Alliance reached out to housing providers, advocacy groups, and Continuums of Care (CoCs) from across the country to hear how Emergency Housing Vouchers were helping their clients. Emergency Housing Vouchers have broadened options for people experiencing homelessness, improved local collaboration, and provided safety to those most in need:
When having the opportunity to provide housing with EHVs, we were able to safely plan with these individuals on how to keep their family safe while in their situation, while simultaneously working with them on getting housed.
Members of a Midwest City’s Continuum of Care on assisting victims of domestic abuse
The collaborative structure required for EHV implementation has encouraged more regular communication and partnership between CoCs and PHAs. It has helped build trust and shared responsibility. Housing authorities now have an understanding of the Coordinate Entry processes, and there’s a clearer understanding of each system’s strengths and limitations.
A Southeastern Continuum of Careon how EHVs have improved relationships with their PHAs
Thanks to the EHV program, thousands of domestic violence survivors in our city were able to escape life-threatening situations and afford a safe home, where they could heal and rebuild their lives. For survivors, EHVs have been nothing short of a lifeline.
A Housing Provider in a Northeastern Cityon assisting their clients fleeing from domestic abuse
What Can You Do to Save Emergency Housing Vouchers?
Advocates can take action to save EHVs in the following ways:
- Reach out to your Members of Congress and tell them to prioritize continued funding for EHVs through at least FY2026 through the appropriations process. This would allow for more time to wind down the program.
- Use this form to contact your Members of Congress about EHVs. Be sure to share it with your networks!
- Use this Action Toolkit, developed by national partners, that provides talking points, advocacy materials, and resources for advocates to take action.
What Should Communities Do in Preparation for the EHV Cliff?
- CoCs and PHAs should work closely to assess the local impact of the potential funding cliff and determine to what extent regular turnover vouchers could be made available to transition EHV recipients.
- Advocates should talk to their local and state elected officials about securing more non-federal dollars for housing assistance to absorb the households remaining in the EHV program when the federal dollars run out. This could include housing funds from state and local general funds, as well as other federal housing programs (i.e., LIHTC units).
- Providers and system leaders should be on the lookout for additional guidance that comes from HUD regarding EHVs and coordinate with PHA partners to follow all procedural and reporting requirements as the program winds down.
- Communicate regularly and transparently with individuals and families being assisted currently and work with them to identify alternate housing options.
For questions, please reach out to Ken Williamson at kwilliamson@naeh.org. To see how the loss of Emergency Housing Vouchers affect your state, click here.
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