Federal housing choice voucher program turns 50 

A federal program intended to help people with lower incomes turns 50 this year and President Joe Biden issued a proclamation today marking the occasion.

“Since it was created in 1974, the Housing Choice Voucher program has served as our country’s largest rental assistance program, providing millions of families with access to affordable housing in communities of their choice,” Biden wrote in the statement. 

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The housing choice voucher program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and locally through public housing authorities (PHA) and other municipal governments. 

In his statement, Biden claimed that his administration has worked to increase the program by adding funding for an additional 100,000 households. 

“Thanks to the thousands of Public Housing Agency partners who administer this program and the private market landlords who participate in it, individuals and families are receiving housing and resources, resulting in better health, employment, and educational outcomes,” Biden continued.

Those who qualify for the housing choice voucher program can select where they want to live as long as a landlord is willing to also participate. Eligibility extends to households and individuals who make less than 50 percent of the area median income, but federal law requires 75 percent of a locality’s vouchers to go to households at less than 30 percent. 

For 2024, HUD calculates the area median income for Charlottesville at $124,200. 

“A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the PHA on behalf of the participating family,” reads a primer on HUD’s website. “The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program.”

The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority owns and operates public housing units as well apartments funded through the housing choice voucher program. According to CRHA’s most recent annual plan, there are 279 public housing units and 681 housing choice vouchers. 

The CRHA waitlist is currently closed for both the voucher program as well as public housing sites. The city also pays CRHA $900,000 a year for additional vouchers not funded by the federal government. 

Albemarle County’s Office of Housing also administers 500 housing choice vouchers.

“The voucher identifies the size of [a] unit the family qualifies for, as well as the maximum amount of monthly rent the family can afford to pay,” reads the county’s website. 

At their next meeting, CRHA Commissioners will vote on a proposal to set the fair market rates for 2025. The resolution was set to be adopted at an October 10 work session but was deferred due to a lack of a quorum. 

Housing choice vouchers are separate from project-based vouchers that are awarded through localities using funding from HUD. Examples include units at Kindlewood operated by the Piedmont Housing Alliance and the Crossings at Fourth and Preston operated by SupportWorks. 

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