HUD Expands Uses of EHV Services Fees

On Aug. 29, HUD published a notice titled “Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV): Expanded Use of the EHV Services Fee” [PIH 2023-23 (HA)]. Emergency housing vouchers are vouchers for families who are experiencing homelessness; at risk of experiencing homelessness; fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking; or were recently homeless and for whom providing rental assistance will prevent the family’s homelessness or having high risk of housing instability. This notice expands the scope of eligible activities for which EHV services fees may be used.

New activities for which EHV services fees may be used include the following:

• Housing search assistance – funds may be used to provide housing mobility services to encourage moves to high opportunity neighborhoods;
• Rental arrears – a PHA may provide applicants funding for some or all of an applicant’s rental arrears to a private landlord if the rental arrear is a barrier to leasing an EHV unit;
• Owner incentive payments – funds may be used for owners that have accessible units or will make units accessible for a person with disabilities;
• Moving expenses – funds may now be used for storage expenses and lock change fees;
• Services that support EHV families in fulfilling their family obligations under the EHV program – PHAs may use funds to mitigate barriers that a family may face in maintaining occupancy of an EHV units; Examples include the following:
  • case-management;
  • wrap-around services;
  • life skills training (e.g., balancing a budget, paying bills on time, opening a savings account, maintaining a living space, securing a credit card, and paying off debt, etc.);
  • financial stability training;
  • mental health care (e.g., travel costs to counseling, co-pay charges, etc.);
  • providing a stability counselor;
  • remedying a lease violation;
  • preventing an eviction (e.g., rectifying unsanitary living conditions, property damage);
  • Paying fees to obtain vital documents to establish program eligibility or documents required by a landlord (application fees and costs for birth certifications, reasonable transportation costs for social security cards or other eligibility documentation, etc.);
• Essential household items – funds may be used for furniture, toiletries, and cleaning supplies; the PHA may also provide a pre-paid gift card to the family, if the PHA verifies that family purchased essential household items through appropriate supporting documentation.

The full notice notes certain restrictions (e.g., services and training must be voluntary) and can be read here.