HUD Rescinds and Revises Notices to Strike Guidance Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Limited English Proficiency Requirements

By: Tushar Gurjal, Senior Policy Manager

March 18, 2026 – On March 16, HUD published a notice titled “Rescission and Revision of Certain PIH Notices” (Notice PIH 2026-06). The notice rescinds several notices that were responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also strikes guidance related to limited English proficiency (LEP).

Striking Guidance Related to Limited English Proficiency

The notice makes certain changes to past guidance related to limited English proficiency:

• Notice PIH 2024-04 titled “Guidance on Eligible Uses for PIH Program Funds Related to Persons with Limited English Proficiency” is rescinded; and
• Notice PIH 2020-32 titled “Guidance for PHAs on the Allowability of Remote Hearings and Remote Briefings” has its section 5, paragraph b on “Requirement for persons with limited English proficiency (LEP)” struck.

The notice notes that withdrawal of the guidance does “. . . not alter PHA responsibility to comply with federal laws applicable to language access, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

Striking Guidance Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

First, the notice partially rescinds the portions of the following notice that pertain to the Housing Choice Voucher Program and the Public Housing Program: Notice PIH 2021-24 titled “COVID-19 Statutory and Regulatory Waivers and Alternative Requirements for the Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher (including Mainstream and Mod Rehab), Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community Development Block Grant programs, Suspension of Public Housing Assessment System and Section Eight Management Assessment Program, Revision 3.”

Second, the notice fully rescinds the following notices:

• Notice PIH 2020-08, CARES Act – HCV Program Administrative Fees;
• Notice PIH 2020-09, CARES Act Mainstream Funding for Public Housing Authorities PHAs) Awarded Funding Allocations in the 2017 and 2019 Competitions;
• Notice PIH 2020-17, CARES Act – Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Supplemental Funding;
• Notice PIH 2020-18, CARES Act – HCV Program Administrative Fees – Second Award;
• Notice PIH 2020-20, Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program – CARES Act Supplemental HAP Funding Allocation and COVID-19 Waivers and Alternative Requirements;
• Notice PIH 2020-22, Mainstream Vouchers – Non-Competitive Opportunity for Additional Vouchers Authorized by the CARES Act, Temporary Waivers and Alternative Requirements, and Modified 2020 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Renewal Calculation;
• Notice PIH 2020-24, Extension of Period of Availability for CARES Act Supplemental Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Funds, Guidance on CARES Act Financial Reporting Requirements (FDS and Quarterly Reporting), and Other CARES Act Provisions;
• Notice PIH 2020-33, COVID-19 Statutory and Regulatory Waivers and Alternative Requirements for the Public Housing, Housing Choice Voucher (including Mainstream and Mod Rehab), Indian Housing Block Grant and Indian Community Development Block Grant programs, Suspension of Public Housing Assessment System and Section Eight Management Assessment Program, Revision 2;
• Notice PIH 2021-33, Submitting CARES Act Waiver Adoption Information to HUD by December 20, 2021;
• Notice PIH 2021-36, CARES Act Supplemental Operating Fund Close Out Procedures;
• Notice PIH 2021-38, COVID-19 Statutory and Regulatory Amendment to PIH Notice 2021-14, Providing for the Release of Public Housing Assessment System Scores for Federal Fiscal Year 2019;
• Notice PIH 2022-07, Mainstream Vouchers – Non-Competitive Opportunity for Additional Vouchers Authorized by the CARES Act and Extraordinary Administrative Funding;
• Notice PIH 2022-19, Mainstream Vouchers – Non-Competitive Opportunity for Additional Vouchers Authorized by the CARES Act and Extraordinary Administrative Funding, Correction;
• Notice PIH 2022-21, CARES Act Funding Reconciliation and Closeout – Housing Choice Voucher Program, Mainstream Vouchers, and Moderate Rehabilitation Program;
• Notice PIH 2022-31, Mainstream Vouchers – Non-Competitive Opportunity for Additional Vouchers Authorized by the CARES Act and Extraordinary Administrative Funding, (Update); and
• Notice PIH 2022-35, CARES Act Supplemental Operating Fund Close Out Procedures.

The full notice making these revisions and rescissions can be found here.