Tens of thousands of Americans could soon lose critical rental support under the federal Emergency Housing Vouchers ( EHV ) programme, with funding expected to run out by the end of 2025 unless Congress intervenes. The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD) has warned in a letter, obtained by the Associated Press, that no additional funding is likely forthcoming.
This could lead to large foreclosures of roughly 60,000 families and individuals, many of whom have escaped poverty, domestic abuse, or animal prostitution.
The EHV project, created in 2021 as part of President Joe Biden’s pandemic-era American Rescue Plan, was allocated$ 5 billion to provide book support. It supported people across the country — from children and seniors to veterans — with the assumption that the funds may last through the generation. But rising prices have accelerated the programme’s decline.
“To have it stop would totally destroy all the advancement that they’ve made, ” said Sonya Acosta, plan scientist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “And next you multiply that by 59,000 homes. ”
Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters is advocating for an$ 8 billion extension, but prospects remain bleak amid Republican-led budget-cutting efforts in Congress. “We’ve been told it ’s very little going to be an uphill battle, ” said Kim Johnson from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Four key Republican legislators involved in funds discussions have not commented.
The situation is significantly personal for individuals like Daniris Espinal, who fled both domestic violence and looming poverty. With an Emergency Housing Voucher, Espinal secured a three-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with her daughters — a space that would otherwise cost over$ 3,000 per month.
“ I gained my price, my sense of peace, and I was able to recover my identity, ” Espinal said. Presently, however, she fears it could all pass away. “That’s my anxiety, losing command of everything that I’ve worked so hard for. ”
