HUD Publishes Guidance on Transitioning EHV Families

By: Tushar Gurjal, Senior Policy Manager

June 24, 2025 – In a notice dated June 20, but distributed to the public on June 24, HUD has provided guidance on Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs). The Department has titled this notice “Guidance on Transitioning EHV Families into HCV and End of EHV Services Fee Expenditure” (Notice PIH 2025-19). Emergency Housing Vouchers are vouchers for the following families: 1) families experiencing homelessness; 2) families at risk of homelessness; 3) families fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking; or 4) families that were recently homeless and for whom providing rental assistance will prevent the family’s homelessness or having a high risk of instability. The Department calculates that the pre-allocated funding for these EHVs will only last through most of calendar year (CY) 2026.

This notice provides guidance to PHAs on how to transition EHV families into the HCV program so that EHV families do not lose their housing assistance. The notice also notes that PHAs may no longer expend service fees 60 days from the publication of this notice and that they must complete all remaining service fee expenditure reporting 120 days from the publication of the notice. Additional guidance on returning unexpended service fees and reallocation is forthcoming.

Transitioning EHV Families into the General HCV Program

The Department strongly encourages PHAs to transition EHV families to the HCV program so that EHV families do not potentially face homelessness. Those housing agencies that choose to do this should provide clear information to EHV families. The information provided should include the following:

• The process for applying to the HCV waitlist under an EHV preference;
• The status of EHV funding;
• The reason that the PHA is adopting an EHV preference; and
• The potential consequences of remaining on EHV assistance (including potential termination).

The Department reminds PHAs that unused EHV Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) funding cannot be used for regular HCV HAP funding, even for former EHV families. The Department also notes that PHAs should consider using HUD’s Two-Year Tool to help them determine how many EHVs may remain in their program towards the end of CY 2026.

Waiting Lists

For EHV families to enter the HCV program, the family must be selected through the HCV waiting list. Housing agencies with an open waiting list should take the following steps:

• Determine if a waiting list preference constitutes a significant amendment to its PHA plan;
• If it is a significant amendment, the PHA must complete the process for updating the PHA plan, including providing a public comment period; and
• Complete the process to update the administrative plan. Revisions to the administrative plan must be adopted by the PHA’s board.

Housing agencies with a close waiting list may choose to open their waiting list only for families that qualify for an EHV preference. In that instance, the PHA should include the preference in the administrative plan.

Preferences

Housing agencies may establish a local preference for EHV families. Those agencies that decide to create a preference should structure it so that only current EHV participants are eligible for the preference.

Those agencies that only have available HCVs to transition a portion of their EHV families may want to adopt multiple preferences to prioritize the most vulnerable families. All preferences must comply with fair housing and civil rights laws.

Those PHAs with Mainstream voucher programs may consider adopting a preference for those EHV families that also meet the eligibility requirements of the Mainstream program. Those families must meet the requirements to enter through the waiting list used by the program.

Housing agencies should ensure communication of the new preference to all EHV families. They should also provide a reasonable amount of time for EHV families to apply for the HCV program before selecting EHV families from the HCV waiting list.

Housing agencies may also apply for a waiver that would allow “ . . . PHAs to place all EHV families on [their] HCV waiting list[s] with the appropriate preference.” Housing agencies should submit their waiver request  in Docusign and provide the following information:

• PHA name, code, and business address;
• Name and email for the PHA point of contact;
• A justification for the waiver, which must include 1) why the PHA needs the waiver; and 2) the impact on PHA operations and applicants if the waiver is not provided.

Once the waiver request is received, the PHA will receive an email. The final determination will be made by the Assistant Secretary.

EHV Waivers and Alternative Requirements

Criminal Rescreening – families that were admitted to the EHV program and are being transferred to the HCV program do not have applicant screening requirements apply to them. Housing Choice Voucher requirements with respect to termination do apply.

Income Eligibility and Targeting – income-eligibility and targeting requirements do not apply to HCV families that have transitioned from the EHV program. Requirements with respect to family income and composition do apply.

Social Security Number and Citizenship Verification – housing agencies may not transition a family from the EHV program to the HCV program until it verifies documentation of social security number and eligible noncitizen status.

Payment Standards and Rent Reasonableness – Housing agencies that set higher payment standards for EHVs may do the following:

• For payment standards set between 110% to 120% of the applicable Fair Market Rent (FMR), the PHA may align both program’s payment standards per the process described in section 5B of Notice PIH 2024-32 (this process allows PHAs to set payment standards up to 120% of the FMR in instances where the success rate of the PHA is less than 75% or more than 40% of families are cost burdened [i.e., pay more than 30% of their adjusted income as the family share of rent]).
• The PHA may hold the family harmless and not reduce the payment standard amount used to calculate the subsidy as per section 10 of Notice PIH 2024-34.

The requirement limiting family share to 40% or less is not applicable to EHV families transitioning to the HCV program.

HAP Contract and Tenancy Addendum

Housing agencies are not required to execute a new HAP contract or tenancy addendum for transitioning EHV families that remain in the same unit.

PIC Reporting

When admitting an EHV family from the HCV waiting list, the PHAs should code them as “EHCV” on line 2n of the HUD-50058. Moving to Work (MTW) families should use the same code, but on line 2p and leave 2n blank. The Department will use this code to award a $1,000 admin. fee for each EHV family that is successfully transitioned to the HCV Program. The notice provides certain other additional reporting requirements.

Service Fees

Housing agencies have 60 calendar days after the publication of this notice to use service fees and an additional 60 calendar days to complete voucher management system (VMS) reporting for those fees.

The full notice may be found here.