Emergency Housing Vouchers, the federal program that pays rent for some 60,000 individuals and families who are running away from domestic violence, or homelessness, or chances of being trafficked is at the risk of running out of funds, which would put a lot of people in serious trouble.
The program was launched back in 2021 during the Presidency of Joe Biden and $5 billion was allocated as part of the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act. As per a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that has been obtained by the Associated Press, the funds of this program are very likely to dry up by next year.
The AP further reported, “It would be among the largest one-time losses of rental assistance in the U.S., analysts say, and the ensuing evictions could churn these people—after several years of rebuilding their lives—back onto the street or back into abusive relationships.”
Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, added, “To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they’ve made. And then you multiply that by 59,000 households.” Citizens of San Francisco to Dallas to Tallahassee, Florida are all enrolled in this program and the pool includes veterans, children, and senior members of the society who had expected things to run smoothly at least till the end of this decade.
However, as the funds are getting empty quickly, last month HUD had sent letters to groups that are distributing the money, saying, “manage your EHV program with the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.”
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As reported by the AP, “The program’s future rests with Congress, which could decide to add money as it crafts the federal budget. But it’s a relatively expensive prospect at a time when Republicans, who control Congress, are dead set on cutting federal spending to afford tax cuts. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who championed the program four years ago, is pushing for another $8 billion infusion.”
Despite trying to find a solution and pushing for more funds, the organizations that are lobbying Republican and Democratic lawmakers to reup the funding do not seem to be very optimistic about the outcome. Kim Johnson, the public policy manager at the National Low Income Housing Coalition told AP, “We’ve been told it’s very much going to be an uphill fight.”
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If the funding is indeed discontinued, a lot of people will be out on the streets, quite literally. For instance, Espinal and her two daughters, who are 4 and 19 years old respectively, are directly benefitting from the program and if it stops they would have to face dire situations.
Espinal could only make her way out of an abusive household because of the existence of this program that ensured a roof over her head. Her husband made her quit her job and his angry outburst made her life hell. When things kept getting worse, she eventually managed to escape with her daughter as this program came to her rescue.
Like Espinal, there are thousand others who depend on this program with their life. It now remains to be seen if more funds can be arranged for this program or if the people building a life with the help of this have to brace themselves for difficult times.
