Federal Funding & Policy Information

Last Updated October 2026

There have been many announcements from the federal government about potential changes to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the programs it administers. Home Forward is not a federal agency, but we receive federal funding through HUD.

What You Need to Know

• Congress passed a budget for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development at the beginning of February after a brief government shutdown. This means HUD now has a final, enacted budget for the Fiscal Year 2026.

• Home Forward is analyzing the final, enacted HUD budget to determine its impact on our work, and we continue to monitor federal funding impacts to our housing and programs that many families rely on.

Shortfall status

Home Forward was notified by HUD that we are in “shortfall” status for our Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Mainstream Voucher programs. Shortfall means that HUD has determined that the amount of federal funding we’ve been allocated will not cover the costs to operate our programs through the rest of the calendar year.
Shortfall status has been used by HUD for many years. It is common for public housing authorities nationwide, especially those in high-cost housing markets like Multnomah County.
Shortfall status has immediate impacts on Home Forward’s ability to support our community. For example, HUD does not allow us to issue new HCV or Special Purpose Vouchers to families on our waitlist or from other referring systems of care. We may be required to take other cost-saving measures dictated by HUD.
Shortfall status may also present opportunities, such as additional funding from HUD to meet our 2025 spending levels for currently assisted households.
Given these constraints, and the uncertainty we face in the coming fiscal year, Home Forward is focusing on preserving assistance for the households we already serve.

Possible changes in 2026:

Home Forward continues to monitor the federal budget process to advocate for full funding for HUD and housing programs. As we learn more about federal funding for 2026, Home Forward may also have to explore additional cost saving measures and are committed to keeping residents and participants, partners, and the community updated.
Home Forward’s primary goal is the ongoing housing stability of our residents and participants. We will continue to monitor federal funding and policy and share updated information.

Emergency Housing Vouchers

• HUD announced on September 29, 2026, that households leasing a home with an Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) on September 30, 2026, will continue to receive rent assistance.

• By the end of December 2026, all eligible EHV households will have their assistance converted to Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPV) in the Housing Choice Voucher program, with no interruption or action needed by assisted households. TPVs will last as long as the former EHV household remains eligible for assistance and can be used to move to new rental housing.

• EHV households who were not leasing a home with EHV assistance on September 30, 2026, are not eligible for a TPV and will lose their rental assistance when the EHV program ends. Home Forward has enough remaining funding for the EHV program to pay rental assistance through December 2026 for households that do not transition to the TPV program. EHV households not eligible for a TPV will no longer receive rental assistance after December 31, 2026.

Background

• The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program was established in 2021 to serve individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Public housing authorities such as Home Forward were initially told the program was funded through 2030.

• In 2025, HUD notified all public housing authorities that funding for the EHV program will endin 2026 – earlier than expected.

• In November 2025, Home Forward notified all EHV households of the early sunset of the program and likely loss of rent assistance in the fall of 2026.

• Home Forward added all EHV families assisted as of November 13, 2025 to our tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program waitlist with a priority. All EHV
households who were not eligible to transition to the TPV will remain on the HCV waitlist with a priority.

• Since EHV households transitioning to a TPV will have a type of Housing Choice Voucher, they will be removed from the HCV waitlist.

• However, Home Forward is not issuing new vouchers from our HCV waitlist due to funding and budget constraints. This means that even though EHV families are now on the HCV waiting list with a preference, Home Forward will not be able to issue vouchers in 2026 and 2027.

• In February 2026, Home Forward offered all EHV households the opportunity to be added to the waitlists for many of our affordable housing buildings with a priority. This offer was renewed in October 2026 for all EHV households that are not eligible to transition to a TPV. All EHV households currently on a Home Forward building waitlist will remain on that waitlist, whether or not they are eligible to transition to a TPV.

Immigration Status & Housing Eligibility

• Information Sharing related to Immigration StatusIn 2025, the Department of Homeland Security signed an agreement with HUD to work together to ensure that housing assistance is provided only to people who are U.S citizens, Lawful Permanent Reidents (green card holders), and other people with lawful immigration status (such as asylees or refugees). The agreement did not change any laws or current HUD rules.Home Forward has always been required to share certain information with the federal government, including certain citizenship and eligibility information of residents and participants. Home Forward has developed guidance [English, Vietnamese, Somali, Russian, Spanish] to explain what information we are required to share with the federal government.

Proposed Rule on Eligibility based on Immigration Status

• In February 2026, HUD published a proposed rule that would require proof of citizenship or eligible immigration status for every member of a household residing in HUD-assisted housing or receiving most forms of rental assistance from HUD.

• The current rules allow households that include members without eligible immigration status, often referred to as mixed-status families, to receive prorated assistance based on the number of eligible members. The proposed rule would require all household members to verify eligible immigration status and end prorated assistance.

• The proposed rule has not been made a final rule and households with mixed immigration status are still eligible for housing with prorated assistance.

How to Contact Your Elected Representatives

It’s important that your elected representatives in Congress hear from you about how federal actions and changes may impact you, your family, and your community. You can call your congressional representatives at 202-224-3121 to tell them to support full funding for housing
programs. You can also find contact information for your elected officials at www.usa.gov/elected-officials.