Hundreds of D.C. residents could lose their federal housing assistance early as funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) dry up.
The D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA) received notice from HUD in late March that funds for the 2021 Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program — a $5 billion federal initiative to help the most vulnerable homeless populations find housing during the pandemic — will run out in 2026. Like other public housing agencies across the country, DCHA was prohibited from issuing new vouchers starting April 9. With no new money coming from HUD, current voucher holders will retain their assistance only as long as DCHA’s existing funds last, after which tenants may stop receiving payments.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 588 households received EHV vouchers in D.C., and if all of them were to lose assistance, homelessness in the District could increase by 13%…