key takeaway
Without renewed support for the Emergency Housing Voucher program, thousands of Californians could lose stable housing. Policymakers have the power and responsibility to stop harmful cuts and protect everyone’s fundamental right to a stable home.
The federal Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program currently helps over 15,000 Californians afford a safe place to live in their community. Federal funding will begin to run out in parts of the state by the end of the year if Congress doesn’t act. And with California leaders still failing to fill the gap, thousands of Californians are at risk of losing their homes.
EHV was created during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, meant to provide immediate housing to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and survivors of domestic violence in crisis. The federal funding for the program had until 2030 to be fully expended. However, with rents rising far faster than incomes, especially for low-wage workers, funding is being depleted faster than expected.
The program has been a lifeline for thousands in California and nationwide, offering rapid access to stable housing for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. But now, as federal funding dries up, families and individuals are beginning to receive notices that their housing vouchers will expire, forcing them into impossible choices: return to homelessness, leave their communities, or forgo other basic needs to keep a roof over their heads.
Without renewed funding, Californians who are currently safely housed will be pushed back onto the streets to face the cruel and costly reality of homelessness once again. These cuts to essential housing supports come at a time when people living with disabilities and survivors of domestic violence are already facing multiple federal and state cuts to vital funding that supports their health and safety.
Trade-Offs Families Face Without a Voucher
On average, a standard housing choice voucher covers roughly $1,550 per month in California. This does not account for the full rent but does cover a critical share, with recipients still typically paying 30% of their income. Losing this support means choosing between rent, food, child care, transportation, or education.
For example, the following table quantifies the trade-offs that a single mom with a 3-year old and a 6-year old who live in San Bernardino County would have to face if they lose their housing voucher. The example uses the average cost per housing unit for the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino for simplicity.
Californians who have already faced the devastating impact of homelessness or domestic violence should not have their homes threatened to help millionaires and large corporations receive another round of tax cuts. The threat to not renew EHV funding is part of a broader federal push to cut and defund critical housing and safety net programs to finance tax breaks for the wealthy. As federal leaders work to destroy programs like EHV that help keep people housed, state leaders must secure the revenues needed to keep their constituents housed and stop deeper potential cuts to other vital housing programs.
Forcing Californians out of their homes is not inevitable — just as ending homelessness is possible. Policymakers have the power and responsibility to stop harmful cuts and protect everyone’s fundamental right to a stable home.
Kristin Schumacher contributed to this publication.
