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Economic Times
21-04-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
60,000 families in US may become homeless as Trump administration's $5,000,000,000 federal housing aid runs dry
Thousands of Americans, including survivors of homelessness and domestic abuse, could face eviction as the $5 billion Emergency Housing Voucher program nears depletion. Launched during the pandemic to offer rent relief, the program supported over 60,000 households. Without renewed funding from Congress, families risk losing their homes and returning to unsafe or unstable living conditions. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Program running out of funds Eviction risks for vulnerable populations Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pressure on Congress to extend funding FAQs: Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein. The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, which supports over 60,000 families, is quickly running out of funding. The funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, totaling $5 billion, will be exhausted by the end of next year as rental prices increase at a steady pace. The Emergency Housing Voucher funds, originally dedicated through 2028. will likely finish in US Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ) issued a notification to housing agencies, warning them about lacking continued funding support. An evacuation of tens of thousands of families could occur if the program loses funding because they would no longer have protection against eviction. The termination of funding would negatively impact all vulnerable population segments, starting with children and moving to seniors and EHV program initiated its operations during 2021 by offering rental assistance to people who needed help, including family victims of violence and human trafficking victims, together with low-income families. The program served essential functions in San Francisco as well as Dallas and Tallahassee. Rising rental prices have consumed the program funds more rapidly than projectors had expected. Experts in housing predict that without funding, there will be a critical situation for marginalized people that will intensify the current housing affordability termination of financial help threatens to reverse the advancement in creating permanent shelter solutions for at-risk communities. According to Sonya Acosta from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 'This funding loss will reverse all family advancement,' she stated. The program supports survivors of domestic violence , providing them safety, but their security is threatened when they may either face dangerous home environments or repetitive homelessness families who participated in the program now face chaos as they must urgently secure housing because the program termination abolishes their support. The termination would force some beneficiaries back to shelters or lead others to put themselves at risk in insecure housing extension of the EHV program depends on Congress passing new funding allocations. Democratic Representative Maxine Waters requested an $8 billion extension of the program, but Republicans continue to resist this funding due to their desire to decrease public spending. The lack of replies from leading GOP members to housing advocates creates concern because numerous families could lose their homes if urgent measures are not that depend on rental assistance want fast congressional support because funds are rapidly running out. American vulnerable groups face the mounting danger of homelessness if funding for the program expires, as this will expand the existing housing a federal initiative created under the American Rescue Plan to provide rental assistance to individuals facing homelessness, domestic violence, or human US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that the program's funding will be depleted by the end of 2025.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
60,000 families in US may become homeless as Trump administration's $5,000,000,000 federal housing aid runs dry
The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, which supports over 60,000 families, is quickly running out of funding. The funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, totaling $5 billion, will be exhausted by the end of next year as rental prices increase at a steady pace. The Emergency Housing Voucher funds, originally dedicated through 2028. will likely finish in 2025. Program running out of funds The US Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ) issued a notification to housing agencies, warning them about lacking continued funding support. An evacuation of tens of thousands of families could occur if the program loses funding because they would no longer have protection against eviction. The termination of funding would negatively impact all vulnerable population segments, starting with children and moving to seniors and veterans. The EHV program initiated its operations during 2021 by offering rental assistance to people who needed help, including family victims of violence and human trafficking victims, together with low-income families. The program served essential functions in San Francisco as well as Dallas and Tallahassee. Rising rental prices have consumed the program funds more rapidly than projectors had expected. Experts in housing predict that without funding, there will be a critical situation for marginalized people that will intensify the current housing affordability issues. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by Also Read : Beware! USDA issues health alert against Alsi Pork carnitas for possible metal contamination risk Eviction risks for vulnerable populations The termination of financial help threatens to reverse the advancement in creating permanent shelter solutions for at-risk communities. According to Sonya Acosta from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 'This funding loss will reverse all family advancement,' she stated. The program supports survivors of domestic violence , providing them safety, but their security is threatened when they may either face dangerous home environments or repetitive homelessness experiences. Live Events The families who participated in the program now face chaos as they must urgently secure housing because the program termination abolishes their support. The termination would force some beneficiaries back to shelters or lead others to put themselves at risk in insecure housing situations. Pressure on Congress to extend funding An extension of the EHV program depends on Congress passing new funding allocations. Democratic Representative Maxine Waters requested an $8 billion extension of the program, but Republicans continue to resist this funding due to their desire to decrease public spending. The lack of replies from leading GOP members to housing advocates creates concern because numerous families could lose their homes if urgent measures are not taken. Also Read : Shannon Sharpe faces $50m lawsuit as NFL legend sued for rape, sexual battery Organizations that depend on rental assistance want fast congressional support because funds are rapidly running out. American vulnerable groups face the mounting danger of homelessness if funding for the program expires, as this will expand the existing housing crisis. FAQs: Q1: What is the Emergency Housing Voucher program? It's a federal initiative created under the American Rescue Plan to provide rental assistance to individuals facing homelessness, domestic violence, or human trafficking. Q2: When is the funding expected to run out? The US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that the program's funding will be depleted by the end of 2025.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Why are thousands of Americans at the risk of losing their homes? Explained
Tens of thousands of Americans are at the risk of losing their critical rental assistance under the federal Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) programmes, reported news agency AP. EHV programmes are running out of money quickly and the funding is expected to come to an end by 2025 unless Congress intervenes. The US Department of Housing and Development (HUD) in a letter warned that no additional funding is likely forthcoming. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their rent. Mass eviction of nearly 60,000 families Analysts have raised alarm it would be among the largest one-time losses of rental assistance in the United States. This could lead to mass eviction of nearly 60,000 families and individuals, many of whom have escaped homelessness, domestic abuse, or human trafficking. ALSO READ: Why is Pete Hegseth's wife Jennifer Rauchet under fire for Signal chat leak controversy? "To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made," said Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which researches housing assistance. "And then you multiply that by 59,000 households," she said. Live Events Launched by former President Joe Biden in 2021, the program, as part of the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act, was allocated $5 billion to help pull people out of homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. The EHV programme supported individuals across the country — from children and seniors to veterans — with the expectation that the funds would last through the decade. But rising rents have accelerated the programme's depletion. 'To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made,' said Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 'And then you multiply that by 59,000 households.' Democratic Representative Maxine Waters is pushing for an $8 billion funding extension, though its chances appear slim as Republican-led efforts to cut the federal budget continue. 'We've been told it's going to be an uphill battle,' said Kim Johnson of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. So far, four key Republican lawmakers involved in the negotiations have not issued any public statements. ALSO READ: How Pete Hegseth invited multiple controversies for himself in less than a month? 10 points For individuals like Daniris Espinal, the issue hits close to home. Escaping domestic violence and the threat of homelessness, she was able to find stability through an Emergency Housing Voucher, securing a three-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn for herself and her daughters — a home that would typically cost more than $3,000 per month. 'I regained my sense of self-worth and peace. I was able to rebuild my identity,' Espinal said. But now, she's worried it could all be taken away. 'That's my fear — losing everything I've worked so hard to rebuild.' Espinal and her two daughters, aged 4 and 19, are currently living in a three-bedroom Brooklyn apartment with a monthly rent exceeding $3,000 — a cost that would be unmanageable without the support of a housing voucher. Just four years ago, Espinal escaped a controlling marriage where her husband dictated nearly every aspect of her life — from whom she could see, to whether she could leave the apartment. When she tried to assert herself, he dismissed her as wrong, unreasonable, or even crazy. Struggling with postpartum depression and isolated from her support system, Espinal began to lose her sense of self. 'Every day, little by little, I started to feel not like myself,' she recalled. 'It felt like my mind wasn't mine.' In March 2021, she was blindsided by notices demanding $12,000 in unpaid rent. At her husband's insistence, she had quit her job, trusting him to manage the household finances — a promise he failed to keep. Police reports of his explosive outbursts helped Espinal secure custody of their daughter in 2022. But she was left on uncertain ground: alone, in debt, and without an income to support her two daughters. ALSO READ: 'Very perilous time in America...': 'Shame' chants echo across US as thousands protest Trump, over 700 events held Pandemic-era financial aid provided a lifeline, covering her back rent and sparing her family from homelessness. But that support was temporary. Around the same time, the Emergency Housing Vouchers program launched, specifically aimed at individuals in situations like hers. 'A leading cause of family homelessness is domestic violence,' said Gina Cappuccitti, director of housing access and stability services at New Destiny Housing, a nonprofit that has helped 700 domestic violence survivors access these vouchers — Espinal among them. In 2023, she moved into her current apartment. But the stability brought more than just a roof over her head. 'I gained my worth, my sense of peace, and I was able to rebuild my identity,' she said. Today, she's saving money, preparing for any future uncertainty. 'That's my fear,' she admitted, 'losing control of everything that I've worked so hard for.'
Boston Globe
21-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts
Funding is expected to be used up by the end of next year, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and obtained by The Associated Press. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their rent. It would be among the largest one-time losses of rental assistance in the U.S., analysts say, and the ensuing evictions could churn these people — after several years of rebuilding their lives — back onto the street or back into abusive relationships. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they've made,' said Sonya Acosta, policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which researches housing assistance. Advertisement 'And then you multiply that by 59,000 households,' she said. The program, launched in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden as part of the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act, was allocated $5 billion to help pull people out of homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. People from San Francisco to Dallas to Tallahassee, Florida, were enrolled — among them children, seniors and veterans — with the expectation that funding would last until the end of the decade. Advertisement But with the ballooning cost of rent, that $5 billion will end far faster. Last month, HUD sent letters to groups dispersing the money, advising them to 'manage your EHV program with the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.' The program's future rests with Congress, which could decide to add money as it crafts the federal budget. But it's a relatively expensive prospect at a time when Republicans, who control Congress, are dead set on cutting federal spending to afford tax cuts. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who championed the program four years ago, is pushing for another $8 billion infusion. But the organizations lobbying Republican and Democratic lawmakers to reup the funding told the AP they aren't optimistic. Four GOP lawmakers who oversee the budget negotiations did not respond to AP requests for comment. 'We've been told it's very much going to be an uphill fight,' said Kim Johnson, the public policy manager at the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Espinal and her two daughters, aged 4 and 19, are living on one of those vouchers in a three-bedroom apartment with an over $3,000 monthly rent — an amount extremely difficult to cover without the voucher. Four years ago, Espinal fought her way out of a marriage where her husband controlled her decisions, from seeing her family and friends to leaving the apartment to go shopping. When she spoke up, her husband said she was wrong, or in the wrong or crazy. Isolated and in the haze of postpartum depression, she didn't know what to believe. 'Every day, little by little, I started to feel not like myself,' she said. 'It felt like my mind wasn't mine.' Advertisement When notices arrived in March 2021 seeking about $12,000 in back rent, it was a shock. Espinal had quit her job at her husband's urging and he had promised to cover family expenses. Police reports documenting her husband's bursts of anger were enough for a judge to give her custody of their daughter in 2022, Espinal said. But her future was precarious: She was alone, owed thousands of dollars in back rent and had no income to pay it or support her newborn and teenage daughters. Financial aid to prevent evictions during the pandemic kept Espinal afloat, paying her back rent and keeping the family out of shelters. But it had an expiration date. Around that time, the Emergency Housing Vouchers program was rolled out, targeting people in Espinal's situation. A 'leading cause of family homelessness is domestic violence' in New York City, said Gina Cappuccitti, director of housing access and stability services at New Destiny Housing, a nonprofit that has connected 700 domestic violence survivors to the voucher program. Espinal was one of those 700, and moved into her Brooklyn apartment in 2023. The relief went beyond finding a secure place to live, she said. 'I gained my worth, my sense of peace, and I was able to rebuild my identity.' Now, she said, she's putting aside money in case of the worst. Because, 'that's my fear, losing control of everything that I've worked so hard for.'
