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Alhambra, August 24, 2023 – Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved requests submitted by the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) to modify Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program admissions requirements to help expedite the agencies’ efforts to help people experiencing homeless. The HCV Program, which helps seniors, families, and other people with low incomes to afford rental housing in the private market, are a key part of Federal, State, and local strategies to reduce homelessness.
The action comes as a result of multiple efforts by both agencies to inform HUD about the impact granting the waivers would make to drastically expedite the leasing process and allow the agencies and their partners to make full use of all the Federal resources dedicated to fighting homelessness in the immediate term. One waiver approved by HUD will allow the LACDA and HACLA to issue housing vouchers to people experiencing homelessness, and then verify their income via independent, third-party sources within 60 days. The prior requirement called for current income to be verified before the agency issued a housing voucher. The approval of an additional waiver allows applicants to submit a self-certification affirming all income and assets. The prior requirement required the agencies to request current third-party documentation and if the applicant was unable to provide third-party documentation, the agencies were required to obtain verifications dated within 60 days of the voucher being issued.
Granting of these most recent waivers is the latest action HUD has taken to support the region’s efforts to address homelessness. Since the beginning of 2020, HUD has awarded approximately 7,400 new Housing Choice Vouchers to the LACDA and HACLA. These include 5,300 Emergency Housing Vouchers that come with substantial regulatory flexibility to facilitate their use by people experiencing homelessness. In addition, HUD has approved several waiver requests that the LACDA and HACLA have submitted over the past several years, including several facilitating the use of housing vouchers by people experiencing homelessness.
“The LACDA appreciates our partners at HUD for considering the state of unprecedented homelessness faced in the region,” stated Emilio Salas, LACDA Executive Director. “Both the LACDA and HACLA are working in tandem to use the respective states of emergency declared by both the City and the County as a tool to clear the way for expedited emergency actions to help house homeless individuals and families as soon as possible.”
For more information on the LACDA’s programs, please click here to access the agency brochure or call (626) 262-4510.
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