The stakes in 2026 are extraordinary. The 10 Year Roadmap for Public Housing Sustainability’s Interim Report established that preserving the nation’s public housing portfolio will require approximately $169.1 billion. That figure is not an abstraction; it represents the roofs, plumbing, electrical systems, and elevators that nearly 1.5 million people depend on every day. At the same time, PHAs are managing the end of Emergency Housing Vouchers, navigating HUD operational disruptions, absorbing increased insurance and rent costs, and working to comply with new regulatory requirements like HOTMA and NSPIRE while the systems needed to implement them remain incomplete.
But there is also remarkable momentum. For the first time in nearly a decade, Congress has advanced comprehensive bipartisan housing legislation through both chambers. The Housing for the 21st Century Act and the ROAD to Housing Act share a core premise that CLPHA has long championed, which is that the housing crisis demands more supply, less red tape, and stronger public-private partnerships. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has already expanded the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and lowered the bond financing threshold, creating immediate new opportunities for PHA-led development and preservation. These are not abstract policy debates; they are tools PHAs need right now.
The priorities in this document reflect what CLPHA has learned for our member PHAs across the country. We must preserve the housing we have, ensure the flexibility to manage programs effectively, expand the financing tools that allow us to leverage private investment, and work alongside our federal partners to ensure they have the resources and capacity to meet shared goals.
This publication is organized into seven priority areas, each containing specific policy recommendations:
- Preserve & Recapitalize the Public Housing Portfolio
- Strengthen Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
- Strengthen & Expand Repositioning Tools
- Expand Affordable Housing Finance & Tax Credit Tools
- Reduce Regulatory Barriers & Streamline Compliance
- Ensure HUD Programmatic Capacity & Accountability
- Advance CLPHA-Endorsed Legislation
CLPHA stands ready to work with Congress and the Administration to advance these priorities on behalf of the nearly 1 million people served by our member agencies.
HUD recently issued three PIH notices that collectively rescind a significant number of administrative flexibilities available to PHAs administering the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Project-Based Voucher (PBV), Public Housing, Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV), and Stability Voucher (SV) programs. These changes reverse several administrative streamlining measures introduced in recent years that reduced documentation barriers, expedited admissions for households experiencing homelessness, and eased PHA operations. CLPHA is conducting an in-depth review of these notices and will provide members with more detailed guidance and analysis in the coming weeks.
PIH Notice 2026-04: Rescission of Streamlined Waiver Process for Persons Experiencing Homelessness
PIH Notice 2026-04 rescinds PIH Notice 2024-17, which had established a streamlined review process for regulatory waivers to expedite admission to the HCV, PBV, and Public Housing programs for persons experiencing homelessness. This notice has no stated compliance deadline. Importantly, any waivers already approved or granted under PIH 2024-17 remain valid until their expiration under the terms of the original waiver approval.
PIH Notice 2026-05: Rescission of EHV and Stability Voucher Verification Flexibilities, Compliance by May 4, 2026
PIH Notice 2026-05 strikes the waiver that had allowed PHAs to admit EHV and SV applicants without verifying citizenship or eligible immigration status and SSN documentation at initial eligibility, which had previously permitted a 180-day window after admission to submit required documentation. PHAs must now comply with standard verification requirements under 24 CFR 5.508 and 24 CFR 5.210-5.218 at the point of admission.
Within 60 days of the publication of this notice (by May 4, 2026), PHAs must:
- Be in compliance with verification of eligible immigration status for both new SV admissions and current EHV and SV families
- Ensure that SSNs for all family members admitted to the EHV and SV programs during the period of availability are verified in the EIV system, or collect verification if not yet verified
As a reminder, per PIH Notice 2025-07, there are no new admissions to the EHV program. For questions, contact [email protected] or [email protected].
PIH Notice 2026-06: Rescission of COVID-Era and CARES Act Notices, Issued March 16, 2026
PIH Notice 2026-06 rescinds many PIH notices issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, covering a range of CARES Act funding mechanisms and operational flexibilities for HCV, Public Housing, and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation programs. Most significantly for day-to-day operations, this notice rescinds PIH Notice 2020-33 and the HCV and Public Housing portions of PIH Notice 2021-14 (Revision 3), which had established the COVID-era statutory and regulatory waivers covering areas such as income reexaminations, inspections, waiting list administration, annual planning, and community service requirements.
Next Steps
CLPHA has consistently supported policies that streamline program administration while maintaining program integrity. In a joint industry letter to HUD in early 2025, CLPHA and industry partners asked Secretary Turner to consider policies to reduce bureaucratic barriers, including flexibilities around income certification and allowing PHAs to adopt local preferences for program admissions.
We recognize these notices raise significant practical implementation questions, and we are actively working to catalogue those questions and engage HUD directly. Members should expect a more detailed follow-up from CLPHA once our review is complete. In the meantime, please reach out to Malcolm Guy at [email protected] with questions.
CLPHA Supports Revocation in HUD Statement
HUD recently published an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register that will revoke the 30-day notification requirement prior to termination of lease for nonpayment of rent. Regulatory requirements for notice of termination for nonpayment of rent will return to pre-2021 requirements, which range from 5 days to 30 days for HUD programs and depend on state and local laws. Additionally, this interim final rule removes provisions requiring PHAs and owners to include certain information in their notice to tenants of lease termination for nonpayment of rent.
This Interim Final Rule will go into effect on March 28, 2026. Once this Interim Final Rule is effective, programs will return to the following notification timelines consistent with pre-2021 regulations:
|
Program |
Timeline |
|
Public Housing |
Non-payment notice: In the case of termination for nonpayment of rent, a PHA shall provide at least 14 days' written notice. |
|
Project-based Rental Assistance (includes Section 202 and Section 811) |
Non-payment notice: For termination for nonpayment of rent, a termination notice must be provided with enough advance time to comply with both the rental agreement or lease and State laws.
Other good cause notice: For termination of tenancy for “other good cause,” HUD regulations require 30 days' notice along with the provision of specific information to the tenant. |
|
Project-Based Section 8 (includes Section 8 New Construction)
|
Non-payment notice: For termination for nonpayment of rent, the time of service must be in accordance with the lease and State law.
Other good cause notice: For termination of tenancy for “other good cause,” HUD regulations require 30 days' notice along with the provision of specific information to the tenant |
|
Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation |
Non-payment, notice: 5 working days’ notice required before tenancy termination for non-payment |
CLPHA and Reno & Cavanaugh previously gathered feedback from members and submitted public comments on the 30-day notification requirement.
In HUD’s statement announcing the revocation, CLPHA CEO La Shelle Dozier said, “CLPHA appreciates HUD’s action to revoke the federal regulations that required PHAs to provide 30 days’ notice prior to termination for nonpayment. While research shows that PHAs make every effort to avoid terminating residents, the 30-day notice requirement creates unnecessary administrative burdens and additional liabilities for PHAs. Revoking this requirement restores state and local authority over eviction notification procedures and returns to the standard notification requirements that existed prior to the implementation of those regulations.”