Housing Choice Vouchers

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program is the nation’s largest low-income rental assistance program. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered locally by public housing authorities (PHAs), Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers serve approximately 2.2 million households, including over 700,000 that are served by CLPHA member PHAs.

The HCV program supports the lowest-income families who struggle to secure safe, affordable housing in the private market. At least 75 percent of new voucher holders must have incomes that are below 30% of their area’s median income. In 2018, the average annual household income among tenants in the program is approximately $14,700.

While targeting the most economically disadvantaged households, the HCV program also serves the most vulnerable. In 2018, 53 percent of HCV households were elderly (29 percent) or disabled (24 percent). Forty percent of HCV households included children under the age of 18. Of those non-disabled, non-elderly HCV households, 75 percent were working, worked recently, or likely were subject to work requirements.

Latest News

12.5.22

CLPHA Attends HUD NSPIRE Get Ready Session: New Compliance Dates Proposed; HUD Accepting New Voucher Demonstration Sites

CLPHA recently attended an NSPIRE Get Ready session with HUD on the development and implementation of NSPIRE Inspection Standards. CLPHA is sharing updated information on NSPIRE from recent meetings with HUD. All information presented here is subject to change as HUD shares more details.

Volunteer for NSPIRE-V Demo

Notably, HUD is actively seeking PHAs to participate in NSPIRE-V user acceptance testing for voucher properties. This opportunity allows PHAs that administer vouchers to get a preview of how NSPIRE-V works, as well as PHAs’ software vendors so they can expedite needed changes to their platforms. If you are interested in participating, contact CLPHA’s Policy and Research Analyst Malcolm Guy.

Updated Timeline to Launch NSPIRE

On April 1, 2023, HUD is preparing to launch NSPIRE for public housing with a new proposed compliance date on July 1, 2023. HUD’s timeline to launch NSPIRE at multifamily and voucher properties remains in October 2023. Since announcing the upcoming launch of NSPIRE earlier this year, CLPHA is pleased that HUD has shifted their implementation calendar moderately to address some of the challenges addressed in CLPHA’s recent comments on NSPIRE. However, CLPHA continues to strongly urge HUD to delay the implementation of NSPIRE beyond 2023 and until the challenges detailed in our comments are fully addressed.

Attend HUD NSPIRE Get Ready Session

As previously announced, HUD is hosting “NSPIRE Get Ready” sessions in 13 cities to be held through February 14, 2023. At HUD’s session in Washington, DC, CLPHA learned that NSPIRE will be rolled out through three major Federal Register Notices (the Standards Notice, the Scoring Notice, and the Administrative Procedures Notice) in late December through early 2023. CLPHA also learned that scores from the NSPIRE Demonstration will be provided to participants after the methodology is finalized, and that training modules, webinars, infographics, fact sheets, and open office hours will be a part of REAC’s efforts to train PHAs on the new standards.

Register for an upcoming NSPIRE Get Ready Session at one of the remaining regional meeting sites:

Providence – December 7, 2022
Honolulu – December 13, 2022
San Juan – January 10, 2023
Washington, DC – January 18, 2023
Denver – January 24, 2023
Oakland – January 26, 2023
New Orleans – January 31, 2023
New York – February 7, 2023
Chicago – February 14, 2023

11.7.22

Development of 100 Apartments for Seniors with Low Income Breaks Ground in San Ysidro (San Diego Housing Commission)

From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:

An empty dirt lot in San Ysidro is getting a new purpose as an affordable housing community with rental apartments for 100 seniors with low income, including 25 for seniors who have experienced homelessness, a transformation made possible through collaboration with the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC).

“What we’re doing today is opening the door – or I guess in this case, the windows – of opportunity for more folks in our community, 100 affordable housing units for seniors,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said at a groundbreaking ceremony today for Ventana al Sur, which is “window to the south” in Spanish. “Projects like these are how we tackle our region’s housing affordability and our homelessness crisis. And I’m particularly grateful that MAAC would go the extra mile and reserve 25 of these homes for homeless seniors. And there’s no bigger issue facing our city currently than our homelessness crisis.”

Developed by MAAC and Kingdom Development, Ventana al Sur’s rental apartments, a mixture of one- and two-bedroom units, will remain affordable for 55 years for seniors with income up to 50 percent of San Diego’s Area Median Income, currently $52,050 for a two-person household. The development also includes one manager’s unit.

“Today’s groundbreaking is a significant milestone. For this development, it represents the start of construction. For the San Diego community, it is the latest progress in the ongoing work to address the shortage of affordable housing. This is especially important for the senior population that will call Ventana al Sur home,” said Colin Miller, SDHC’s Senior Vice President of Housing Finance and Property Management.

SDHC awarded 25 rental housing vouchers to Ventana al Sur to help pay rent for seniors who previously experienced homelessness. These residents will also receive on-site supportive services.

SDHC also awarded a loan of up to $4.4 million toward the development of Ventana al Sur, which will consist of funds SDHC administers: the City of San Diego’s Affordable Housing Fund and California Department of Housing and Community Development’s (HCD) Local Housing Trust Funds.

SDHC supported the Ventana al Sur development through HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO, SDHC’s homelessness action plan, which has created more than 10,600 housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of Homelessness. HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO launched in November 2014.

Read SDHC's press release.

11.2.22

HUD Opens Registration for NSPIRE Get Ready Sessions

HUD recently opened registration for upcoming “NSPIRE Get Ready” sessions in 13 cities to be held through February 14, 2023. According to HUD, the NSPIRE Get Ready session is designed for all Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) stakeholders, including residents, industry groups, inspectors, and HUD field staff to come and learn more about NSPIRE and prepare for its implementation.

At each session, HUD will share the latest NSPIRE updates and upcoming changes to the inspection process. Key topics include: an overview of NSPIRE policies, standards, scoring, and key enhancements; IT systems; inspection protocol concepts; and information on the development and rollout plans for the new inspection model.

The locations and dates for the NSPIRE Get Ready Sessions are:

Atlanta – November 10, 2022
Kansas City – November 16, 2022
Seattle – November 29, 2022
Alburquerque – December 1, 2022
Providence – December 7, 2022
Honolulu – December 13, 2022
San Juan – January 10, 2023
Washington, DC – January 18, 2023
Denver – January 24, 2023
Oakland – January 26, 2023
New Orleans – January 31, 2023
New York – February 7, 2023
Chicago – February 14, 2023

CLPHA recently submitted comments to HUD expressing significant concerns with HUD’s plans to begin implementing NSPIRE as early as April 2023 at public housing properties and in October 2023 at multifamily and HCV properties. Additionally, CLPHA members that have participated in the NSPIRE demonstration shared concerns during a recent listening session that NSPIRE will significantly increase PHAs’ administrative costs, adding that the software technology is not reliable and the demonstration is not representative of the HCV portfolio.

CLPHA invites you to join in on the conversation at the upcoming Fall Meeting on November 17-18 in Washington, DC where we will be joined by HUD’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of REAC to discuss HUD’s implementation plans.

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