Report flags potential federal threat to housing vouchers

BOSTON — Access to housing assistance for tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents could be in jeopardy as federal officials eye potential changes to eligibility requirements, researchers say.

About 9.2% of Massachusetts renters, or more than 98,000 households, relied on the federal Housing Choice Voucher program in December 2024, compared with 5.6% nationally, according to a new Citizens Housing and Planning Association report. The program, often referred to as Section 8, makes housing affordable for low-income households by capping the amount a resident pays for rent at 30% of household income. 

Researchers found vouchers are crucial in the face of soaring rents. Without the aid, Massachusetts recipients would need to earn an average $59,510 more each year to afford the median rent, according to the report.

About 55% of voucher recipients are also not considered able to work, according to the report, which means many heads of households are elderly or disabled and without an able-bodied adult capable of earning an income to afford housing costs.

Researchers also found that those that need assistance in Massachusetts depend on the safety-net program for a median length of nine years, compared to 6.5 years nationally. About 83% of aid recipients here exceed the recommended duration of two years on the program while 45% rely on assistance for more than a decade.

Assistance for households that rely on vouchers for more than two years or that are considered “work-able” could be in jeopardy under potential rule changes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The agency responsible for the program has drafted two rule changes, including one that would allow local housing authorities and landlords to implement work requirements and limit how long recipients can receive vouchers to two years, as reported by Pro Publica based on unpublished drafts of the rules.

Researchers noted that time limits and work requirements would likely apply to only “work-able” recipients. The second possible rule change would prohibit mixed-status households, where some members are eligible for assistance and others are not, from receiving vouchers or living in public housing. Within Massachusetts, hundreds of housing authorities have paused re-issuing vouchers in the past few years as a result of budget constraints and federal funding uncertainty, said report author Jennifer Gilbert.

The report says “it is possible that none of these changes will ever take effect” but speaks to the possibility of time limits on vouchers for certain households as well as to possible impacts on landlords.

“Administrative changes like time limits and work requirements increase the risk of renting to a voucher holder. While source of income discrimination is illegal in Massachusetts, program changes that shorten the extent of the support or might cause a working household to be terminated due to administrative errors are likely to increase landlord hesitancy to accept renters with vouchers,” the report said. 

The first potential rule change is in the “proposed rule stage” according to a Federal Register database, which includes actions agencies are developing or have recently completed. The second rule was proposed in 2019 and withdrawn in 2021, according to the database, and it’s unclear whether HUD has reintroduced it. A HUD spokesperson did not respond to the News Service’s questions on the potential rule changes.

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