DALLAS, Ga. — Hundreds of Georgia families may soon be searching for housing, as a COVID-era emergency voucher program, originally intended to last through the 2030s, will end in June.
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The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program is a special voucher program established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. When originally passed, Congress believed the $5 billion in allocated funds would last until 2030. However, rapidly increasing rents drained funds faster than expected.
This January, EHV recipients received an email stating that the program’s funding was not extended and would end on June 30th, 2026.
“It’s like this cloud had come over me because I’m like, where did this come from?” Lena Holt, an EHV recipient and advocate, said.
Holt is a mother first who adopted three siblings back in 2018. She ran a successful lawn care family business and was in the process of buying a house.
“We were enjoying life until COVID came,” Holt said. She says her business dropped by 85 percent during the pandemic, and she lost her home. Forcing her to seek government assistance for the first time.
“These people lost homes, jobs, you know. So it’s not like they were not out, you know, being productive,” Holt said.
The Emergency housing voucher stabilized her and her family. However, the program’s expiration has left those like her trying to find new housing.
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“It’s a countdown clock,” Holt said. “A fast countdown clock.”
HUD says around 70,000 EHVs were distributed nationwide to local housing authorities. Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs says it distributed hundreds of EHV vouchers to local residents. However, rising rents nationwide have drained the program’s funding.
“So if the dollars are the same, it’s just fewer people that we can subsidize,” Freehill said.
While not a DCA-specific program, Freehill says they are trying to help as many EHV recipients as possible. They are holding town halls, sending out email blasts, and trying to connect recipients with other voucher programs.
However, many housing programs already have waitlists, and there is not enough supply to meet demand.
“We know there will still be folks come July 1 who just don’t have a way to pay the rent,” Freehill said.
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Lena Holt says she wants to see more action from the government to help those in her situation, who will soon lose benefits years earlier than they planned.
“I’m not really worried about myself,” she said. “But I know people who don’t know where to go.”
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