NAHRO, with other National, Regional, and Local Groups, Sends Letter Reaffirming the Need for Voucher Funding

By: Tushar Gurjal, Senior Policy Manager

July 11, 2025 — Today, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), along with many other national, regional, and local groups, sent a letter to appropriators on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) subcommittees. The letter asks that appropriators fully fund the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, including Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs), and fully fund Project-Based Rental Assistance.

A broad range of organizations signed this letter. The letter has 786 organizations endorsing it from across the country. It has representation from all 50 states, one federal district, five regional organizations, and 70 national organizations. Organizations include NAHRO’s traditional partners like the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), Public Housing Authority Directors Association (PHADA), the Local Housing Administrators Coalition (LHAC), the Moving to Work Collaborative (MTW Collaborative), and the Housing and Development Law Institute (HDLI). A sample of other organizations to sign on includes the National Association of Counties (NACo), the National Apartment Association (NAA), the National Leased Housing Association (NLHA), the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and many of NAHRO’s regional and state affiliates. Finally, the letter includes many housing agencies and other interested entities from across the country that understand the vital importance of fully funding these federal rental assistance accounts. NAHRO thanks all of these groups for signing this letter and recognizing the importance of these programs.

The letter makes several points. First, the letter advises against the restructuring and funding cuts in the 2026 proposed President’s Budget. Second, the letter emphasizes the need to fully fund the voucher accounts, including the following:

• HCV Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Account – this account ensures funding for over 2.3 million households and over 5 million people who rely on vouchers;
• HCV Administrative Fee Account – this account ensures that public housing agencies have funding to provide effective assistance to families and ensures that federal funds are used efficiently;
• Emergency Voucher Households – funding this account ensures that the approximately 59,000 families with an emergency housing voucher do not lose their federal rental assistance as this account’s initial funding allocation nears completion; and
• Project-Based Rental Assistance – this account ensures that over 1.3 million families continue to receive federal rental assistance.

Third, the letter emphasizes the over $50 billion impact annually to local economies across the country and the benefits of ensuring a steady stream of income to property owners. Finally, the letter reiterates the well established research showing vouchers improve health outcomes for adults, improve children’s well-being, and, in certain instances, can make children more likely to attend college and earn substantially more as adults.

Members of NAHRO, or any interested parties, can take additional steps to raise awareness of the importance of these programs. They can share this letter with their members of Congress. Additionally, they can go to NAHRO’s Action Alert Center and send the letter titled “Protect Local Housing Solutions and Fully Fund HUD Programs in FY 26” to the appropriate officials.

The full letter can be found here.