| HUD No. 23-175 HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0685 |
FOR RELEASE Friday August 18, 2023 |
HUD Approves Changes to Housing Choice Voucher Program to Accelerate Homelessness Solutions in Los Angeles
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved requests by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Development Authority to modify Housing Choice Voucher Program admissions requirements to expedite their efforts to help people experiencing homeless.
“HUD is committed to supporting every community’s effort to solve homelessness by helping vulnerable people obtain housing and supportive services,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “In light of the extraordinary crisis of homelessness that exists in Los Angeles, HUD is allowing the Los Angeles housing authorities to modify a rule that too often delays people’s access to the assistance they need to move from the streets or temporary housing into healthy, stable, affordable homes.”
Housing Choice Vouchers, which help seniors, families, and other people with low incomes to afford rental housing in the private market, are a key part of federal, state, and local strategies to reduce homelessness. The waiver that HUD has approved will allow the Los Angeles housing authorities to issue housing vouchers to people experiencing homelessness, and then verify their income via independent, third-party sources within 60 days. The prior requirement requires that income be verified before the agency may issue a housing voucher.
This action is the latest in a series HUD has taken to support Los Angeles’ efforts to address homelessness. Since the beginning of 2020, HUD has awarded approximately 7,400 new Housing Choice Vouchers to HACLA and LACDA. These include some 5,300 Emergency Housing Vouchers that come with substantial regulatory flexibility to facilitate their use by people experiencing homelessness. In addition, HUD has approved several waiver requests that HACLA and LACDA have submitted over the past several years, including several that will facilitate the use of housing vouchers by people experiencing homelessness.