Special Purpose Vouchers (SPV)
In support of furthering our Mission, the Housing Authority recognizes the need in our community for families who are unhoused and as such has elected to administer Special Purpose Vouchers (SPV), a type of Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, administered by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs). When utilized strategically and collaboratively with Continuums of Care (CoCs) and other partners, these programs provide unique opportunities to target rental assistance resources to specific populations to advance a community’s plan to end homelessness, support a community’s equity outcomes, and create ways to meaningfully engage with people with lived experience of homelessness and involvement with various systems. Among those SPVs are Emergency Housing Choice Vouchers (EHV), Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), Mainstream Vouchers (MVP), and Foster Youth to Independance Vouchers (FYI). These Special Purpose Voucher allocations are separate from our MTW contract.
Special Purpose Voucher details:
- 134 MAINSTREAM VOUCHERS (Referred through Kings Tulare Homeless Alliance)
- Mainstream vouchers are Housing Choice Vouchers with special eligibility criteria to serve non-elderly persons with disabilities (at least 18 years and less than 62 years) or households with a member with disabilities.
- 68 VASH VOUCHERS (Referred through U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
- The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program combines HCVs for homeless Veteran households with case management and clinical services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) or a VA contractor or VA designated service provider (DSP). HUD-VASH eligible households consist of eligible homeless veterans and their families. Eligibility determination and veteran selection and intake is done by the VAMC (or DSP). After intake, HUD-VASH eligible families are referred to the partnering PHA for the issuance of a voucher
- 117 EMERGENCY HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS (Referred through Kings Tulare Homeless Alliance & Family Services)
- Funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program provides HCVs to PHAs to assist individuals and families who are homeless, at-risk of homelessness, fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking, or were recently homeless or have a high risk of housing instability. HUD allocated these vouchers to communities with the greatest need for EHVs and where local PHAs demonstrated the capacity to administer the vouchers. Collaboration and referrals from the CoC and Victim Service Providers (VSPs) are a key element of the EHV program implementation along with many waivers to reduce housing barriers. Unlike the other SPVs discussed in this fact sheet, which are funded through annual appropriations and are permanent assistance, EHVs are one-time funding received through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and set to expire in Sept 2030. EHV vouchers cannot be re-issued after September 30, 2023.
- 25 FOSTER YOUTH VOUCHERS (Referred through Child Welfare Services)
- Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative makes HCVs available to PHAs in partnership with Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs). FYI vouchers assist youth between the ages of 18-24 who have exited foster care or will exit foster care within 90 days and are experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness.
Applications are only taken through referring agencies.
