Washington County housing officials warn Emergency Housing Voucher program will end early; staff roll-out mitigation plan

Molly Rogers, executive director of the Housing Authority of Washington County, told the authority board on Oct. 7 that the federal Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program — created under the American Rescue Plan — will end earlier than originally planned and that the authority is preparing to help affected households transition.

“Based on what we know right now, we’re not anticipating immediate impacts to our work,” Rogers said, while cautioning that program funding could run short if a federal shutdown continues beyond mid-November and that the EHV sunset will create challenges for participants.

Why it matters: The EHV program provided temporary rental assistance to people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness during the COVID-19 response. Washington County staff said the program was originally slated to run through Sept. 30, 2030, but recent federal funding decisions mean the program will terminate much earlier, putting households that rely on those vouchers at risk of losing rent subsidy.

Staff numbers and timeline: Em Nichols, a PHA program…