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The Trump Administration announced this morning its request of $73.5 billion in funding for the for Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of its 2027 budget request. The proposed budget represents a $10.7 billion decrease from the 2026 funding bill passed by Congress earlier this year. Unlike the President’s budget request last year that zeroed out critical housing programs, the 2027 request funds housing programs at 2026 or slightly higher levels. However, it still underfunds several programs critical to public housing authorities. Below are highlights from the Administration’s FY27 department-level proposal:
Proposes elimination of funding for programs important to CLPHA members:
Public Housing:
Housing Choice Voucher Program:
Project-Based Rental Assistance:
CLPHA will provide a more detailed review and analysis of the FY27 HUD budget proposal in the coming days. |
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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.