How emergency housing vouchers were distributed after COVID

Last updated 2026-07-11

What were the Emergency Housing Vouchers and why did Congress create them?

Emergency Housing Vouchers, everyone calls them EHVs, came out of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), signed into law on March 11, 2021. ^[1] Congress set aside $5 billion for rental help aimed at people who were already falling through the cracks before and during the pandemic. The vouchers work the same way as regular Housing Choice Vouchers. A PHA pays the landlord the difference between 30% of the tenant's income and the unit's rent (up to the local payment standard), and the voucher stays active as long as the family stays eligible.

The idea behind EHVs was simple. Standard Section 8 waitlists in most cities run for years. People who are unhoused or one bad week from losing their place can't wait years. So Congress carved out a separate, fast-moving pool of vouchers that skipped the normal waitlist and went straight to the people most at risk.

HUD's Federal Register notice from May 2021 named four eligible groups: individuals and families experiencing homelessness, those at risk of homelessness, people fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking, and recently homeless individuals and families for whom EHV assistance would prevent a return to the street. ^[2] That list is narrower in practice than it reads on paper, which is one reason leasing up took longer than HUD hoped.

How did HUD decide which housing authorities received EHV allocations?

HUD ran no grant competition. It used a formula published in a Federal Register notice and sent vouchers to 626 public housing authorities across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. ^[2] No agency had to compete or write a proposal. The data decided.

The formula pulled from three sources: HUD's 2020 Point-in-Time (PIT) count of homeless individuals, Continuum of Care data on unsheltered populations, and HUD's fair market rent areas. ^[10] Larger PHAs in metros with high documented homelessness got the most. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the Chicago Housing Authority, and the Los Angeles County Development Authority each received thousands of EHVs. Small rural PHAs might have gotten 25 or 50.

Any PHA that took an allocation had to sign an amendment to its annual contributions contract (ACC) with HUD and agree to program rules that don't touch regular vouchers, including mandatory partnerships with Continuum of Care organizations and homeless service providers. ^[3] A PHA could decline its allocation, and HUD could then move those vouchers to another agency.

The table below shows how the 70,000 EHVs broke down by HUD region at initial allocation.

HUD Region	States Covered	EHVs Allocated
Region 1 (New England)	CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT	~2,100
Region 2 (NY/NJ)	NJ, NY	~8,900
Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)	DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV	~5,200
Region 4 (Southeast)	AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN	~7,800
Region 5 (Midwest)	IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI	~8,400
Region 6 (South Central)	AR, LA, NM, OK, TX	~6,300
Region 7 (Plains)	IA, KS, MO, NE	~1,900
Region 8 (Mountain)	CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY	~1,800
Region 9 (Pacific)	AZ, CA, HI, NV	~14,600
Region 10 (Northwest)	AK, ID, OR, WA	~3,000

Note: Regional figures are estimates derived from HUD's published state-level EHV allocation tables ^[2]. HUD did not publish exact splits by region as a single table.

Who was eligible to receive an Emergency Housing Voucher?

You could not apply for an EHV the way you get on a standard Section 8 waitlist. A partnering homeless services organization, a domestic violence shelter, a Continuum of Care (CoC) agency, or another designated referral source had to refer you to the local PHA. ^[3] Walking into a housing authority and asking for one directly did not work.

Once referred, applicants still had to clear the standard HCV income limits. That generally means income at or below 50% of Area Median Income, with 75% of new admissions required to be at or below 30% AMI under HUD's targeting rules. ^[4] On top of that, the applicant had to fit one of the four eligible categories set in ARPA.

The domestic violence and human trafficking category earns its own sentence. Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), PHAs running EHVs had to offer protections including emergency transfers and confidentiality, and referrals from DV service providers carried the same weight as CoC referrals. ^[5]

One group got overlooked a lot: people who had just exited homelessness but landed somewhere shaky (a friend's couch, a motel paid by a charity) could qualify under the "at risk" or "recently homeless" categories. The document that mattered was usually a written certification from the referring organization confirming the applicant's status.

How did the referral and application process actually work step by step?

The details shifted city to city, but the general flow HUD laid out in its EHV notice looked like this:

1. A local CoC lead agency, domestic violence program, or other designated partner identified someone in their caseload who met EHV eligibility. 2. The referring organization sent a referral to the local PHA, usually through a shared intake system or a formal referral form the PHA set up. 3. The PHA reviewed the referral and confirmed the applicant met both EHV categorical eligibility and standard HCV income rules. 4. The PHA issued a voucher with an initial search term (often 120 days, sometimes extended under EHV rules). ^[11] 5. The applicant searched for a unit. The PHA had to provide housing search help, and many spent part of their EHV administrative fees on case managers who found landlords willing to take the voucher. 6. Once a unit was found, the standard HCV inspection and rent reasonableness process ran. ^[6]

HUD required PHAs to sign formal agreements with at least one CoC lead agency in their area. That partnership requirement was new, and it caused early delays while agencies worked out the logistics. ^[3] Where the PHA and CoC already knew each other (Boston, Denver, Houston), EHVs moved fast. Where the two systems had barely spoken before, they crawled.

Want to know whether your local housing authority got EHVs and still has referral slots open? Call the PHA. The HUD EHV dashboard shows leasing rates, not individual slot availability.

How much money did Congress actually appropriate for EHVs?

ARPA put $5 billion toward the EHV program. ^[1] That split into two buckets: money for the vouchers themselves (the rent subsidy paid to landlords) and a separate pot for administrative fees and supportive services.

HUD allocated roughly $2.6 billion for HAP (Housing Assistance Payments, the actual rent subsidies) and a meaningful chunk for per-unit administrative fees above the normal HCV rate, specifically to help PHAs cover case management and landlord outreach that the regular program doesn't fund. PHAs could also spend up to 15% of their EHV funding on supportive services. ^[2] That last piece was on purpose. People coming out of homelessness often need help with security deposits, furniture, and case management, none of which a plain voucher pays for.

The statutory authority sits in Section 3202 of ARPA. HUD's implementing guidance came through PIH Notice 2021-15 and later updates. EHV HAP funding was walled off from regular HCV funding, so EHV leasing never drew down a PHA's regular voucher reserves.

Rental assistance programs funded through ARPA also included Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA1 and ERA2), run by Treasury and separate from EHVs. ^[12] Those programs paid arrears and short-term rent. EHVs created ongoing, long-term subsidies. The two hit different moments in a family's housing crisis.

How quickly were the EHVs leased up, and what slowed things down?

Leasing ran slower than Congress or HUD wanted. By the end of 2022, about 18 months after vouchers went out, roughly 40% were leased. ^[7] By late 2024, HUD's EHV Tracker showed about 63,000 of 70,000 vouchers leased or in process, a rate near 90%. ^[7]

Three things slowed it down. First, landlords. People exiting homelessness often carry eviction records, gaps in rental history, or no history at all. Plenty of landlords who already work with the standard Housing Choice Voucher program balked at EHV households for those reasons, even with the subsidy guaranteed. PHAs had to hustle for landlords in a tight rental market.

Second, inspection backlogs. The standard HQS inspection still applied to EHVs. Through 2021 and 2022, many PHAs were short-staffed on inspections thanks to the pandemic. HUD let PHAs use alternative protocols (owner certifications, virtual inspections) for a while, but not every agency moved fast to adopt them. ^[6]

Third, the referral pipeline. Standing up a working referral system with CoC agencies took time, especially in small markets where one staffer handled the whole EHV program.

One fix helped a lot. HUD extended the initial EHV search terms well past the standard 60-day window. ^[11] For someone leaving shelter with no ID and no rental history, 60 days is nowhere near enough. Search periods that stretched to 180 days or more, at PHA discretion, moved the leasing numbers.

What support services came with the Emergency Housing Voucher program?

This is where EHVs split from a regular voucher the most. HUD built in funding for supportive services because the target group usually needs more than a subsidy check.

PHAs could spend EHV funding on security deposit assistance (a real wall for people with no savings), utility deposits, moving costs, and case management. ^[2] The 15% supportive services set-aside was actual money. For a PHA with 500 EHVs at an average monthly HAP around $1,200, that's over $7 million a year in HAP, which puts north of $1 million a year within reach for services.

Most PHAs partnered with CoC providers instead of running services in-house. The PHA issued the voucher and handled the landlord payment. The CoC case manager helped the tenant stabilize, connect to mental health or substance use care, and sort out landlord disputes.

HUD's guidance pushed PHAs to link EHV participants to HUD-VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) coordinators for veterans, and to Victim Service Providers for domestic violence survivors. ^[5] The point was to make the EHV one piece of a coordinated response, not a benefit handed to someone with no other support.

Are Emergency Housing Vouchers still available, and what happened to them long-term?

EHVs are not a one-shot benefit. Once a household leases up, the voucher stays with them as long as they stay income-eligible and follow program rules, same as a regular HCV. ^[2] The money comes from a different place (the ARPA appropriation), but the ongoing subsidy behaves exactly like the standard program.

By 2024, most EHVs were leased. HUD's public EHV dashboard, updated monthly, shows leasing rates by state and PHA. ^[7] New EHV allocations aren't being issued. Congress hasn't appropriated more EHV money since ARPA. When a household leaves the program (moves out of the PHA's jurisdiction without porting, loses eligibility, or exits on their own), that slot may get reissued within the PHA's pool or returned to HUD.

For people who want a long-term voucher and don't fit one of the four EHV categories, the standard HCV waitlist is the path. Many PHAs open their Section 8 waiting lists from time to time. EHV was a targeted emergency response, not a permanent bump in the voucher supply.

Housing wonks keep debating whether a permanent set-aside of vouchers for people experiencing homelessness should exist. EHVs proved fast leasing is possible when you cut administrative barriers and attach real services. Whether Congress acts on that is a separate fight.

How does an EHV compare to a regular Housing Choice Voucher?

The core mechanics match: the landlord gets a HAP payment, the tenant pays 30% of income, and the PHA runs the contract. The differences show up in who gets them, how they're assigned, and what extras ride along.

Feature	Regular HCV	Emergency Housing Voucher
How you get it	Waitlist (often years long)	Referral from CoC or DV provider
Who qualifies	Broad low-income eligibility	Must be homeless, at-risk, or fleeing DV/HT
Supportive services funding	None built in	Up to 15% of total EHV funding
Search period	Typically 60 days (extendable)	Extended periods allowed, often 120-180 days
Landlord incentives	Standard	PHAs encouraged to offer signing bonuses, deposit help
Funding source	Annual HUD appropriation	ARPA one-time $5 billion
VAWA protections	Standard HCV VAWA rules apply	Enhanced VAWA protections required
Portability	Standard porting rules apply after initial lease	Same

One real-world gap is worth calling out. PHAs running EHVs sat under more HUD scrutiny than they ever faced on regular vouchers. HUD tracked EHV leasing every month and reached out directly to low-performing agencies. That kind of pressure is unusual for the HCV program, where HUD normally monitors through annual assessments.

Where can landlords find information about renting to EHV holders?

Landlords don't deal with HUD directly on EHVs. They deal with the local PHA. The process mirrors standard HUD housing requirements: the unit passes inspection, the rent has to be reasonable next to comparable units, and the landlord signs a Housing Assistance Payment contract with the PHA.

For EHV households, PHAs were encouraged to offer incentives you won't see on the standard program. That included one-time signing bonuses (some PHAs paid $500 to $2,500 per unit), covering the initial inspection, and risk mitigation funds to cover tenant-caused damage above the deposit. ^[2] Not every PHA offered all of these, and the money ran out in some places.

If you're a landlord weighing whether to rent to a voucher holder, the EHV population has a reputation for spotty rental history. The honest answer is that some do and some don't. What you get with an EHV that you don't get with a market tenant is a case manager assigned to the household, a real person to call when something goes sideways.

VoucherReady's landlord kit walks through the standard HCV inspection checklist, HAP contract terms, and the rent reasonableness process if you want one reference document before you call the PHA.

To find EHV holders actively searching, go straight to the PHA's EHV coordinator, since the whole system runs on referrals. Listing on platforms like Go Section 8 can also surface voucher holders searching your area.

What does the data say about whether EHVs actually reduced homelessness?

Causation is hard to pin down here. The Point-in-Time count in January 2023 found about 653,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night, a 12% jump over 2022. ^[8] On the surface that looks like EHVs failed. But the counterfactual matters. Homelessness would very likely have run higher without 63,000 more subsidized households in homes.

HUD's own reporting noted that EHVs housed people already in the PIT count, so they cut chronic and episodic homelessness for specific people even while overall counts climbed from other pressures (rising rents, the end of emergency rental assistance, migration). Nobody has published a clean randomized trial on EHVs. The closest is HUD's 2024 EHV progress report, which found most participants had not returned to homelessness by their one-year check-in. ^[7]

The broader research on vouchers and homelessness is clearer. A 2019 study in the American Economic Review found that housing vouchers cut time spent homeless and improved long-term housing stability. ^[9] EHVs ran on the same mechanism.

Honest takeaway: EHVs housed tens of thousands of people who would otherwise be unhoused. They did not fix structural homelessness. Seventy thousand vouchers against a shortfall of millions of affordable units was never going to do that.

What if someone was referred but never received an EHV? What are the options now?

If you got referred and the slot was filled or the PHA's allocation ran dry, there's no appeal to force an EHV. The program isn't taking new applications. It was a fixed pool, and the pool is nearly empty.

Here are the real paths forward.

The standard HCV waitlist is the main route. Some PHAs open their lists periodically, so checking for open Section 8 waiting lists in your state is worth the time. Being in one of the four EHV categories (chronic homelessness or DV survivor status especially) often earns a preference on the regular waitlist, which can cut the wait meaningfully.

HUD-VASH vouchers exist specifically for veterans experiencing homelessness, run through VA medical centers with local PHAs. That's a separate program with its own allocation.

State and local programs matter too. Some states used their own ARPA state fiscal recovery funds to build state-level emergency rental assistance or voucher programs. Availability swings wildly by state. A local CoC can tell you what's out there.

For people in domestic violence situations, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act funds emergency shelter and transitional housing that needs no voucher at all. That can bridge the gap while a long-term voucher comes through.

Want the full picture of low income housing beyond vouchers? Call your local CoC or dial 211. They track real-time beds, transitional housing slots, and short-term aid in a way no national website can match.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still apply for an Emergency Housing Voucher in 2025?

No. EHVs were a one-time allocation from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. The 70,000 vouchers have been distributed and the large majority are leased. HUD is not issuing new EHV allocations, and PHAs are not accepting new EHV applications. If you need housing assistance, the standard Housing Choice Voucher waitlist or local CoC programs are the current options.

Did landlords have to do anything special to rent to EHV holders?

No extra steps beyond the standard HCV process. The unit still needed to pass an HQS inspection and clear rent reasonableness review. Some PHAs offered landlord incentives like signing bonuses or damage mitigation funds specifically for EHV units, but joining those incentive programs was optional. The HAP contract and payment process was identical to the regular voucher program.

Which cities or housing authorities got the most EHVs?

HUD allocated based on homelessness data, so the largest metro PHAs got the most. California collectively received the largest share given its high PIT count. The New York City Housing Authority, LA County Development Authority, and Chicago Housing Authority each received thousands of EHVs. HUD published the full allocation table by PHA in its May 2021 Federal Register notice. Smaller cities and rural PHAs received as few as 25-50 vouchers.

How is an EHV different from Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA)?

ERA (Treasury-administered) paid past-due rent and short-term help for people who fell behind during COVID. EHVs (HUD-administered) created ongoing, long-term subsidies identical to a regular Section 8 voucher. ERA was a one-time payment to get current. EHVs are a permanent monthly subsidy that stays with the household as long as they stay eligible.

Can an EHV be ported to a different city?

Yes, after the initial lease-up. Standard HCV portability rules apply. The EHV holder must first lease a unit in the issuing PHA's jurisdiction, then can request a port to another PHA after 12 months (or sooner in some cases, like domestic violence situations). The receiving PHA can absorb the voucher or bill the issuing PHA. VAWA emergency transfer rights applied from day one for DV survivors.

What happened to EHVs when the original tenant moved out or left the program?

When an EHV household vacates, the voucher generally stays in the PHA's EHV pool for reissuance to another eligible household through the referral process, as long as EHV funding remains available. HUD's guidance allowed this reissuance. As ARPA funds draw down over time, reissuance capacity may narrow. Contact the PHA directly for current policy on its specific EHV slots.

Did undocumented immigrants qualify for EHVs?

No. EHVs followed standard HCV rules on immigration status. HCV assistance is available only to U.S. citizens and certain qualifying non-citizens with eligible immigration status. Households with mixed immigration status could receive prorated assistance based on the number of eligible members, the same formula used for regular vouchers under 24 CFR Part 5.

Were EHVs only for families, or could single adults receive them?

Single adults qualified. The EHV eligible categories (homeless, at-risk, fleeing DV, recently homeless) explicitly include individuals as well as families with children. That was a meaningful difference from some older housing programs that prioritized households with minors. Single adults experiencing homelessness were among the primary target populations HUD meant EHVs to reach.

Did the EHV program have income limits?

Yes. Standard HCV income limits applied. The household had to have income at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the local area. HUD's very low income targeting rule also meant 75% of new HCV admissions must be at or below 30% AMI. In practice, most EHV recipients sat well below 30% AMI because they were experiencing homelessness or near-homelessness.

How did PHAs find landlords willing to rent to EHV holders?

PHAs used a mix of direct outreach to existing HCV landlords, contact with local apartment associations, and sometimes incentive payments funded from the EHV administrative fee. Some hired dedicated landlord recruitment staff. HUD's EHV guidance pushed PHAs to be proactive rather than waiting for landlords to list units. Many also leaned on CoC partners who had existing landlord relationships from rapid rehousing programs.

What is PIH Notice 2021-15 and why does it matter for EHVs?

PIH Notice 2021-15 is HUD's primary implementing guidance for the EHV program. It covers eligibility, the referral process, CoC partnership requirements, supportive services funding rules, and landlord incentive options. If you're a PHA administrator, housing advocate, or policy researcher, this document is the operational rulebook. HUD issued updates and FAQs to this notice through 2022 and 2023.

How did domestic violence survivors access EHVs differently than other applicants?

DV survivors could be referred directly by a Victim Service Provider (VSP) rather than only through a CoC. PHAs had to accept VSP referrals as equivalent to CoC referrals. Enhanced VAWA protections applied from the first day of EHV assistance, including emergency transfer rights, confidentiality of address, and protection from termination based on DV-related lease violations. Self-certification of DV status was accepted as documentation.

What oversight did HUD have over PHAs using EHV funds?

More than usual. HUD published a monthly EHV leasing dashboard showing each PHA's leasing rate, and low-performing PHAs got direct outreach from HUD field offices. PHAs had to submit regular reports on referrals, leasing, and supportive service spending. The accountability structure was substantially tighter than for regular HCV funding, partly because Congress and advocacy groups were watching EHV progress closely.

Were EHV funds used for anything other than rent payments?

Yes. PHAs could spend up to 15% of EHV funding on supportive services including security deposits, moving costs, utility deposits, and case management. Administrative fees above the regular HCV rate were also available to cover landlord recruitment, case manager salaries, and other program costs. This made EHVs more expensive per voucher than regular HCVs, but far more effective for a population that needed more than a subsidy check.

Sources

1. Congress.gov, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2): ARPA appropriated $5 billion for Emergency Housing Vouchers, signed March 11, 2021
2. HUD, Federal Register Vol. 86 No. 90, PIH Notice 2021-15 (EHV Program Notice): HUD allocated 70,000 EHVs to 626 PHAs using PIT count and CoC data; supportive services up to 15% of funding; four eligible population categories defined
3. HUD, EHV Program Requirements and CoC Partnership Guidance: PHAs required to partner with CoC lead agencies and accept referrals; applicants must be referred by designated organizations rather than applying directly
4. HUD, 24 CFR Part 982 (Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance: Housing Choice Voucher Program): Standard HCV income limits (50% AMI) and 75% very low income targeting requirement apply to EHV participants
5. HUD, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization and HCV Program: VAWA enhanced protections required for EHV participants including emergency transfers, confidentiality, and VSP referral equivalency
6. HUD, Housing Quality Standards and Inspection Protocols (24 CFR Part 982, Subpart I): Standard HQS inspection requirements apply to EHV units; HUD allowed alternative inspection protocols during pandemic period
7. HUD, Emergency Housing Voucher Tracker (monthly leasing data): Approximately 63,000 of 70,000 EHVs leased or in process by late 2024; leasing rate approximately 90%; HUD tracked monthly by PHA
8. HUD, 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress: January 2023 Point-in-Time count found approximately 653,000 people experiencing homelessness, a 12% increase over 2022
9. American Economic Review, 'Targeting In-Kind Transfers Through Market Design' (Bergman et al., 2019, housing voucher effectiveness): Peer-reviewed research in AER found housing vouchers substantially reduced time spent homeless and improved long-term housing stability
10. HUD, Fair Market Rents dataset (24 CFR Part 888): EHV rent subsidy calculated against local payment standards derived from HUD Fair Market Rents, same as regular HCV
11. HUD, PIH Notice 2021-15 FAQ Updates (2022): HUD extended EHV search periods beyond standard 60 days, allowed up to 120-180 days or more with PHA discretion, to support EHV population
12. U.S. Department of the Treasury, Emergency Rental Assistance Program Overview: ERA1 and ERA2 programs administered by Treasury paid rent arrears and short-term assistance; separate from HUD-administered EHVs which provide ongoing subsidy