COLORADO SPRINGS — The Executive Director for the Colorado Springs Housing Authority (CSHA) says funding constraints have led to them pausing Section 8, or Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), assistance.
The pause was put in place sometime in February and currently only impacts those who were going through processing to receive vouchers. Those who are already receiving vouchers are not currently impacted, according to the Executive Director for CSHA, Chad Wright.
Section 8 housing, officially known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV), is a federal program in the United States that helps low-income families, the elderly, veterans and those with disabilities afford housing. It provides rental assistance in the form of vouchers that subsidize a portion of the rent. Those accepted can choose their own housing, provided it meets certain health and safety standards. Landlords must agree to accept the voucher, and the tenant typically pays a portion of their income toward rent, while the government covers the rest. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) oversees the funding.
CSHA handles issuing vouchers in the Colorado Springs area, and the application period for the wait list typically opens in July for just a few days. As of this week, Wright is reporting 2,886 households on the current wait list. Wright says that 1,741 households are currently receiving vouchers. Wright doesn't believe the pause will impact the opening of the wait list this summer. Having more than 2,000 households on the wait list is not out of the norm for this program.
Only those who were in processing received notice of the pause, according to Wright. It isn't clear if those who are currently receiving vouchers will be impacted in the future.
"That scenario is not currently in play," Wright wrote about the possibility of current recipients having their vouchers canceled. "This is a pause mainly to ensure that we remain in balance with the funding for the program."
Wright says CSHA has yet to receive guidance from HUD on the level of funding for the program when it comes to the balance of 2025. Wright believes this is the first time CSHA has paused the program.
It isn't clear if all housing authorities across the country are undergoing a "pause." News5 reached out to several other housing authorities in Colorado on Tuesday and we have yet to hear back. We also reached out to HUD directly.
Click here for updates from CSHA on when the next application period will open.
If you were impacted by this pause and want to share your story, you can reach out to Tony.Keith@koaa.com.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) also announced a pause at the start of March.
"Due to funding reductions in the Section 8 program, HACLA has announced the need to pause housing application processing for 3,300 families, a decision made with great difficulty and careful consideration of all possible alternatives," HACLA wrote in a news release. "The economic and human impact of these funding gaps cannot be overstated. Without additional resources, Los Angeles could see increased housing instability, affecting thousands of families, property owners, and the broader community."
It is worth noting that a memo was issued on Jan. 27 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) calling for a funding freeze on thousands of federal programs. However, that memo was rescinded on Jan. 29. This week, the National Low Income Housing Coalition announced the White House budget request is expected in Mid-May, and said that the HCV program could be targeted for cuts.
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Southern Colorado will see winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings in effect on Friday and expire on Saturday.
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