A new report from the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities (CBPP) finds that housing agencies that administer Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) funds generally use all (or nearly all) of annual HCV funds appropriated by Congress to help low-income families afford housing, even in communities where families face significant challenges finding housing with a voucher.
According to CBPP, housing agencies “overall… have spent 100 percent of the funds they’ve received over the past decade,” and the HCV program “is… assisting as many families as possible under current funding levels, even in communities where families’ success rates are relatively low.”
However, CBPP’s report also addresses the challenging, tight rental market that many voucher holders face, noting that the low success rates for families obtaining rental housing with a voucher “remain a legitimate and serious concern.” The report highlights strategies such as landlord recruitment and housing search assistance that may increase voucher utilization rates.