U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge traveled to Falls Church, Virginia today to announce the awarding of more than 19,000 new Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) to almost 2,000 Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) in nearly every community across the country. This is the most expansive allocation of flexible new rental assistance in 20 years. In some communities, this is the first allocation of new vouchers in decades.
“To help people who are dealing with the housing affordability crisis, including people experiencing homelessness, we are awarding more than 19,000 new Housing Choice Vouchers to housing agencies throughout the country,” said Secretary Fudge. “HUD is committed to ensuring people have access to the resources and tools they need to get a decent and safe home. That is what everyone in this country deserves. Every eligible household should have access to a voucher. No one should have to sleep on the street or in their car because they can’t afford rent.”
The vouchers announced today are among the nearly 100,000 new HCVs provided by the American Rescue Plan and Fiscal Year 2022 budget. The total award amount is $214,519,250. Funding for these vouchers was included in the FY 2022 appropriations act and was based on the President’s FY 2022 budget request. A list of the awards is available here
During her visit to Falls Church, Secretary Fudge spoke with residents who previously secured affordable housing with HCVs about their experiences in the program and the importance of the new HCV awards and steps HUD is taking to make it easier for households to use their vouchers amid rising rents. Secretary Fudge was joined in Falls Church by Congressman Don Beyer and Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority Executive Director, Thomas Fleetwood.
The 2023 Fair Market Rents (FMRs), which HUD published on September 1 and which go into effect on October 1, will make it easier for families with housing vouchers – including the HCVs announced today and other vouchers created under the Biden-Harris Administration – to use their vouchers to access affordable housing. The new FMR levels will enable the voucher program to keep up with rent increases in the private market.
Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has repeatedly acted to help vulnerable renter households attain quality and stable housing through a historic expansion of the housing voucher program. Today’s allocation will help more people across the country access affordable housing, particularly people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Click here for a fact sheet on today’s announcement and to learn more about the Administration’s historic expansion of the housing voucher program to expand access to affordable housing.