Section 8 Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Program

Emergency Housing Voucher

The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program is a voucher program funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). ARPA was signed into law and included the funding of approximately 70,000 EHVs. HUD announced EHA awards and Housing Connect was awarded 131 EHVs.

Emergency housing vouchers aim to help individuals and families affected by homelessness; at risk of homelessness; fleeing or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking.

Have recently been homeless and for whom the provision of rental assistance will prevent family homelessness or high risk of housing instability.

To ensure those most in need are supported first, HUD requires a partnership with the Continuum of Care (CoC) and/or other direct referral organizations.

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The CoC will determine if the individual or family falls under one of the four eligibility categories above and will provide Housing Connect with confirmation and supporting documentation of that determination.

After receiving the transfer, Housing Connect will make a decision on eligibility to receive housing benefits. If eligible, an EmHV will be issued to the individual or family.

Eligibility For Emregency Housing Voucher

Those interested must apply to the program through their local Continuum-of-Care (CoC). Customers cannot apply alone.

Eligibility is limited to individuals and families who are:

• Homeless
• Threatened by homelessness
• Escape or attempted escape, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or human trafficking
• Recently homeless and for whom the provision of rental assistance prevents family homelessness or high risk of housing instability

Applicants must fit at least one of the priority categories below. Additional eligibility determinations are made, such as: the annual total gross income of the family and the size of the household.

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Landlord Benefits

The EHV program offers landlords the opportunity to strengthen their communities by helping end family and individual homelessness and providing safe, stable housing. Eligible are single-family houses, multi-family houses, condominiums, terraced houses and condominiums.

Paperwork is minimal and the owner retains normal administrative rights and responsibilities, including tenant selection, rent collection, property maintenance and lease termination.

Benefits of the Emergency Housing Voucher program for landlords:

• Positions are filled with qualified applicants.
• Payment of the subsidy portion of the rent is guaranteed.
• Over $2,000 in incentives will be provided, including a lease signing bonus, deposit paid, repair fund and more.
• Landlords can help their community by providing shelter for the most vulnerable.

Incentives for Owners Outlined

A robust incentive package is offered to owners to facilitate occupancy:

• When the rental contract is concluded, the owner is paid a landlord bonus in the amount of one month’s rent.
• The deposit is fully covered for the household.
• Repairs can be reimbursed up to $1,000 to ensure the unit meets residential quality standards.
• Landlord Guarantee: Should the Landlord be forced to evict the Tenant for non-payment of the tenant’s portion of the rent, HCR will reimburse the Landlord for losses incurred prior to the date of eviction.

How To Get Emergency Housing Voucher?

Individuals and families must be referred directly to HACSB through the San Bernardino County Coordinated Entry System (CES) or a Victim Service Provider (VSP). HACSB cannot accept applications directly from the public for this program.

Families requiring EHV support may contact a service provider directly to request assistance applying for the emergency housing voucher program. You can find a list of service providers who can help customers access the EHV program.

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Due to the number of referrals received, all referrals for the emergency housing voucher program received after 5:00 p.m. on September 26, 2023 will be placed on a waitlist.

EHV Referral Instructions

Referring partners and individuals and families not working with a service partner may refer eligible individuals and families to the emergency housing voucher program by completing an online EHV referral form.

Before submitting the form, please refer to the map below to verify if your county is eligible for a Texas Homeless Network Emergency Shelter Voucher.

Supporting documents requested once a referral has been reviewed and approved by THN, including the link to the online emergency housing voucher referral form, can be found in the Application Documents section below.

Application instructions and a video tutorial on how to submit documents to HMIS can be found in the EHV Resources section. All documents must be submitted in order for staff to review the voucher recommendation.

Referral Partners who do not use/have access to HMIS can email the required documentation directly to txbosehvp@thn.org as a protected sheet with a shared password in the body of the email.

If you are an individual and/or family not affiliated with a service partner, please email txbosehvp@thn.org directly to inquire about how your application materials will be accepted.

Please note that when completing the EHV referral form NO application documents are required to express your interest in receiving an emergency housing voucher. A voucher is not guaranteed upon the presentation of a recommendation.

How Does The Emergency Housing Voucher Program Work?

There are several steps to get EHV support:

• The family must be referred to HACSB through the County of San Bernardino Coordinated Entry System or another partner agency. The referring body confirms that the family meets one of the four eligibility categories described above.
• HACSB determines eligibility for EHV support.
• The family selects a unit to rent from a private landlord. Families should be supported in finding accommodation.
• The unit must pass a housing quality assessment and the rent must be reasonable. If the unit passes inspection and the rent is reasonable, the family can rent the unit.
• The family pays part of the rent to the landlord (usually 30% of their income) and HACSB pays the rest of the rent to the landlord.

Property Owners Information

Are you ready to fill up your available units? Hundreds of individuals and families are actively looking for rental housing – don’t miss out!

Step 1: Learn more about EHVs, the leasing process and working with CHA.

• Watch the 15-minute on-demand EHV information session.
• Learn more about the HCV program in a live homeowner onboarding webinar.

Step 2: Advertise your available units.

Like all HCV participant families, EHV families search the private market for housing and contact owners if they are interested in an available unit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) On Emergency Housing Vouchers

EHV families receive personalized housing assistance from Chicago Rents, a Chicago program. To connect directly with EHV families, property owners can add their units to the Chicago Rents database: Complete a Unit Availability Survey.

Good Luck For Emergency Housing Voucher.