The Abrupt End of the Emergency Housing Voucher Program and What it Means for New Yorkers

An apartment building in the Bronx. Photo via Adi Talwar

***

Over 9,000 New York State residents are currently facing possible displacement due to the abrupt end of a pandemic-era supportive housing program, following a federal government announcement. The Emergency Housing Voucher Program (EHV) helps families and individuals at facing or at-risk of homelessness, feeling or attempting to flee domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking to find housing by subsidizing a portion of rent based on their income. 

One EHV recipient, Arnetta, says the program has allowed her to have “something [she] always wanted,” as it gave her space to make her own in a nice, friendly environment. She even claims to have gotten free application assistance through the program. For the past five years, the EHV Program has helped thousands of New York residents, such as Arnetta, find suitable, safe living conditions. 

That was, until voucher recipients received an email from the New York City Housing Authority with an important update about the EHV Program. In this email, it states that the U.S. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it will halt funding the EHV program “much earlier than expected.” Without this funding, the program will run out of money by late 2026 and thus “will no longer be able to provide EHV subsidy payments for your apartment.” 

“I got an email, and I saw the NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) logo. I nearly fell to the floor,” said Lashonne Smith, a mother of two who has been a part of the EHV Program since 2022, when interviewed by ABC 7 about the situation. 

These housing vouchers were created in 2021 through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, which aimed to combat the economic and public health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding access to safe and stable housing and support. This $5 billion allocated for emergency housing vouchers was supposed to be available through September 30, 2030; however, it was cut off mere days ago, four years earlier than tenants had anticipated. Over 5,200 New York City residents will be losing their vouchers due to this abrupt cut. 

In their email, NYCHA says that while they’re working to find “alternative subsidized housing options” for EHV participants, all participants must first fill out an application to NYCHA’s Public Housing Program. It is also noted that filing this application does not guarantee that NYCHA will be able to find applicants a place to live. Winning this lottery feels impossible to many EHV participants, as many of them filed applications for the Public Housing Program years before the creation of the Emergency Housing Voucher Program and received no help. 

“My application has been with NYSCHA since 2017… I’m labeled under domestic violence. I’ve been on the waitlist!” exclaimed Smith when asked about the Public Housing Program. 

NYCHA encourages all residents to submit their Public Housing Program application by May 1, as applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through the summer. NYCHA, in a separate email, unhelpfully urges tenants on the waitlist to “be on the lookout for future correspondence” from NYCHA that will let them know the next steps. 

These words, while sounding promising, do not ease the feeling of uncertainty within tenants, as many of them have dealt with the New York City Housing Authority for years and are familiar with their apathy and inaction towards struggling tenants, regardless of their risk of homelessness, sexual abuse, or even death. Current EHV are scared they will have to return to the horrific living conditions they fought tooth and nail to escape without the help of their vouchers.

“This is just going to make it worse for us if we don’t have somewhere to live,” said Smith.

***

This article was edited by Abigail D’Angelo.