HUD Sends 2017 HCV Program Renewal Funding Letter

Today, March 15, HUD sent a letter to Executive Directors about 2017 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) renewal funding. The letter purports to provide guidance in HCV Program planning.

The letter notes that the Department would normally have 60 days to calculate a PHA’s funding level after a full-year budget or a full-year Continuing Resolution (CR), but currently the Department has neither a full-year budget nor a full-year CR and is operating under a CR that is a few months long. It is operating under a CR that lasts until April 28, 2017.  This partial-year CR makes planning difficult. HUD believes that they will only have definitive budgetary information for FY 2017 in June 2017.

Despite this, HUD has evaluated several situations to provide PHAs with potential guidance in HCV Program planning. The letter notes that in calculating national voucher costs a significant inflation factor was applied. There was at least a 2.58% inflation factor applied to all PHAs. Forty percent of PHAs received a higher inflation factor.

• Scenario 1 – Full Year CR (FY 2016 Appropriation Levels):
  • HAP proration – 94% and
  • Administrative Fee proration – 77%.
• Scenario 2- Full Year budget passed:
  • Using Senate Appropriations bill numbers:
    • HAP proration – 97.5% and
    • Administrative Fee proration – 80%.
  • Using House Appropriations bill numbers:
    • HAP proration – 97.5% and
    • Administrative Fee proration – 75%. [4:03 pm edit – number corrected.]

The letter states that “a full year CR seems to be the responsible starting point for program operations . . . [and] PHAs should assess their projected leasing and spending starting with the 94% proration . . . [and] model alternative scenarios.” HUD also recommends using the HCV Forecasting Tool and modeling different proration scenarios (the forecast tool defaults to 94% currently).

NAHRO agrees that it is safe assumption to assume a full year CR for FY 2017 in program planning.

The full letter can be read here.