Vermont State Housing Authority warns Section 8 uncertainty; rental-arrears program may run out by September 2025

Vermont State Housing Authority leaders told the House Human Services Committee that federal uncertainty for the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program and limited state funds for eviction prevention are pressing issues for landlords, tenants and homeless-service providers.

Kathleen Burke, executive director of the Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA), and Caprice Hover, special project manager for VSHA, described a two-track problem: federal subsidy funding that may be prorated this year, and state-level programs that manage eviction prevention, landlord relief, mobile-home repair and new mobile-home infill.

Federal Section 8 outlook and risk to vouchers

Burke said guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in December indicated two congressional proposals would likely fund the Housing Choice Voucher program at between roughly 88% and 97.5% of need. If funding lands near 97.5%, Burke said, public housing authorities across Vermont could likely work through that scenario while halting issuance of new vouchers and relying on natural attrition; at the lower estimate (~88%), authorities could be forced to remove currently assisted families to align with the available budget.

VSHA's portfolio and homelessness-related vouchers

VSHA administers…