*** Update ***
On Friday, February 20, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that the DHAP extension would last 6 months, through August 31, 2008***
While details remain to be worked out, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced yesterday that the Disaster Housing Assistance Program, which is providing ongoing rental assistance to 31,000 households along the Gulf coast, will not terminate as scheduled on February 28. Instead, a transition period will be established, during which all DHAP voucher holders will have their income reviewed to determine whether they are eligible for a "standard" Section 8 voucher. If the household is eligible, HUD will provide a voucher; if not, assistance will terminate after a period of time still to be determined.
In announcing the new plan, Secretary Donovan estimated that approximately half of the 31,000 DHAP recipients would be eligible for permanent vouchers. While the plan would leave the remaining DHAP recipients without ongoing rental assistance, these households do not qualify for Section 8 now, and in most cases likely did not qualify before the 2005 hurricanes. Nevertheless, these are households who have had significant difficulty transitioning into housing they can afford. It is incumbent upon HUD to recognize these challenges and work with all affected households to ensure that they do not become homeless after they leave the DHAP rolls. Family homelessness is rising across the country - HUD must do everything in its power not to create additional homelessness along the Gulf coast.