HUD Reiterates Key Points in EHV Guidance Documents in Email to PHA Executive Directors
By: Tushar Gurjal, Senior Policy Manager
July 8, 2025 – On July 7, HUD sent an email to PHA executive directors that highlights key points in prior guidance relating to Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs). The email refers to two guidance documents: Notice PIH 2025-19 titled “Guidance on Transitioning EHV Families into HCV and End of EHV Services Fee Expenditure” and Notice PIH 2025-13 titled “Implementation of the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2025 Funding Provisions for the Housing Choice Voucher Program.”
The email reiterates several points stated in Notice PIH 2025-19 on EHVs. First, housing agencies have 60 calendar days from the publication date of the notice to use service fees on eligible expenses. Second, agencies have an additional 60 days to complete reporting in the Voucher Management System (VMS) of those spent service fees. Third, the email notes that the notice discusses how PHAs may place “ . . . [EHV] families on the HCV waiting list and [establish] a preference for EHV families on the waiting list . . . .” Fourth, the notice provides a streamlined waiver review process to request a waiver allowing all EHV families to be placed on a PHA’s HCV waiting list instead of accepting individual applications from EHV families. This expedited waiver request must be made through DocuSign. For this waiver to be granted, PHAs must provide a good-cause justification. Citing administrative burden is not a good cause justification. The email provides two examples of good cause justifications. Fifth, the email notes that the guidance document provides other waivers that may be used by PHAs.
Finally, the email repeats the point that a PHA may not transition a family from the EHV program to the HCV program until it verifies that the family has documentation related to its members social security numbers and eligible noncitizen status (when applicable). The Department expects that all EHV participants will already have this information documented except in rare cases. In instances where that documentation has not been verified, the Department expects PHAs to take actions to verify it.
The email also reiterates that HUD will award $1,000 in HCV administrative fee funding per HCV family that is successfully transitioned to the HCV program, which is mentioned in Notice PIH 2025-14 (see page 33). To receive the funds, the PHA must write “EHCV” on line 2n of the HUD form 50058 and have it submitted to IMS/PIC (for all transitions in calendar year 2025) by February 28, 2026.
The full email can be found here.