HUD recently published a notice, “2023 Mid-Year Registration of Interest for HUD-VASH Vouchers,” to announce $94.4 million in HUD-VASH funding for 11,000 new program vouchers. The vouchers will be awarded as follows:
- Eligible PHAs may register via a “Registration of Interest link” on the HUD-VASH webpage (with required letters of support); and
- Based on a “relative needs” formula (based on Veterans Affairs analysis), registered HAs will receive an invitation to apply for a specific number of HUD-VASH vouchers.
Agencies must have signed letters of support from partnering Veterans Affairs facilities, demonstrated capacity to administer the program, and meet certain utilization standards if already administering the HUD-VASH program. Related to utilization, HAs already administering the program must have a current HUD-VASH voucher unit utilization rate of 70 percent or higher as of January 2023, or as of the most recent comprehensive set of validated data (in VMS) available to HUD at the time of award, whichever is higher. HAs can review the VMS data HUD uses to establish the utilization threshold criteria by accessing HUD’s dashboard page here.
Regarding awards, an HA may receive a minimum of five vouchers and a maximum of 500 vouchers, applicable to both new and existing administrators of the HUD-VASH program. Each Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) will be capped at 1,000 vouchers.
The Notice states that no additional approvals are required from HUD for project-basing HUD-VASH vouchers beyond the normal process. HAs should review PIH Notice 2017-21, Implementation Guidance: Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) – Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Provisions.
HUD is establishing a minimum and maximum number of vouchers offered under this notice. Any single PHA may be invited to apply for a minimum of five vouchers and up to 500 vouchers under this notice; this is applicable to both new and existing administrators of the HUD-VASH program. Additionally, each VAMC will be capped at 1,000 vouchers.
Housing authorities must register by midnight in their time zones on May 10, 2023.