DHAP Transition Plans Announced by HUD

On February, 5th LANO issued an advocacy alert about the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP). DHAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide long-term rental assistance for eligible families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and it was about to expire on February 28th.

DHAP is a program that directly and indirectly impacts nonprofits and the clients they serve. Nonprofits play a key role in helping clients with their housing needs and many of them have expressed concern about the expiration of DHAP.

Using LANO’s advocacy campaign, 104 people sent letters to their Louisiana Members of Congress asking them to urge HUD to extend DHAP. Thank you for taking the time to take action on this very important issue! It made a difference.

Due to our grassroots efforts, the Obama Administration will give temporary reprieve to the estimated 31,000 families that receive DHAP rental subsidies. HUD realized that there was not enough time between now and the end of February to process all DHAP renters into a permanent housing voucher program.

On February, 20th HUD announced details about a new six-month transition rental assistance program for families currently enrolled in DHAP. HUD and FEMA will provide the additional assistance to families as needed until August 31st to give them more time to transition out of the DHAP program, either to self-sufficiency or other federal or state housing programs, including HUD's Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, also called Section 8.

While the program runs until August 31st, starting March 1st participants will have to pay for themselves another $100 a month in payments to landlords - part of a transition to self-sufficiency.

HUD is also expanding outreach to all Housing Choice Voucher income-eligible families to encourage transition to HCV assistance, another measure aimed at helping families transition from disaster assistance during difficult economic times. Families who believe they may be eligible for Housing Choice Vouchers must immediately contact their local Public Housing Authority (PHA) to begin the application process.

HUD's recent decision is a relief to the 31,000 families on DHAP who will now have extra time to figure out alternative housing. This decision is not only a relief to those families, but the nonprofits that serve them as well.