Section 8 Program - Choice in Affordable Housing Act

2025 Federal Priority 

Overview

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the nation’s most successful short-term tool to assist low- and moderate-income households gain access to affordable housing. However, several bureaucratic inefficiencies and inflexibilities deter rental housing providers from participating in the public-private partnership. 

The bipartisan Choice in Affordable Housing Act, introduced as S.890 and H.R.1981 by Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and by Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), respectively, will provide critically needed reforms to the HCV program. 

As an Owner or Operator, How Does this Affect My Business? 

The voluntary HCV program has long been an incredibly powerful solution to help address our nation’s housing affordability challenges. Today’s program, however, remains overregulated, plagued with inefficiencies and burdensome regulatory requirements.  

This important legislation, which was previously introduced in both chambers last Congress, would:   

• Empower Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to offer incentives for housing providers that operate in areas of opportunity and for new participants;    
• Provide security deposit assistance for renters who benefit from Section 8 and help protect rental communities;  
• Allow greater flexibility in unit inspections while maintaining housing quality standards;   
• Enable PHAs to hire dedicated “landlord liaisons” to recruit and support private housing providers; and  
• Using Small Area Fair Market data to set rents fairly in certain metro areas.