H.R. 7084 – Emergency Housing Voucher Act of 2020

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Updated April 14, 2026 at 12:45 PM UTC

The Emergency Housing Voucher Act of 2020 creates a $10 billion emergency rental assistance program to help families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or fleeing violence. It provides up to 200,000 new tenant‑based vouchers through public housing agencies, with funding allocated based on agency capacity and local need, especially related to the COVID‑19 pandemic. The law sets priority preferences, allocation formulas, and rules for reallocation if agencies do not use the vouchers promptly.

Key Provisions

Approves $10 billion for the 2020 fiscal year to fund up to 200,000 new emergency rental vouchers and renew existing ones, plus administrative costs.
The vouchers are tenant‑based rental assistance under the existing Section 8 program.
Public housing agencies must give priority to families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or fleeing domestic or sexual violence.
Within 60 days of the law’s enactment, the HUD Secretary must allocate at least half of the funds to agencies based on their ability to use vouchers quickly and the level of need in their area (including COVID‑19 risk, homelessness rates, and local housing conditions).
The remaining funds are allocated using a formula that also considers agencies’ success in using vouchers and their capacity to partner with service providers.
Agencies that choose not to participate have their share reassigned to other agencies; agencies that fail to issue vouchers promptly have unissued vouchers and money reallocated.
Existing CARES Act waivers and alternative requirements for tenant‑based assistance apply to this program.
Vouchers cannot be reissued once a family’s assistance ends, but any unused funds are redirected to other agencies for renewing other vouchers.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Financial Services Committee

June 1, 2020

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 1, 2020

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Financial Services Committee

June 1, 2020

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 1, 2020

I

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7084

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 1, 2020

Ms. Waters introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

A BILL

To authorize emergency rental voucher assistance, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Emergency Housing Voucher Act of 2020.

2.

Emergency rental assistance voucher program

(a)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (in this section referred to as the Secretary), $10,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, to remain available until expended, for—

(1)

200,000 incremental emergency vouchers under subsection (b);

(2)

renewals of the vouchers under subsection (b); and

(3)

fees for the costs of administering vouchers under subsection (b).

(b)

Emergency vouchers

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall provide emergency rental assistance vouchers under this subsection, which shall be tenant-based rental assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)).

(2)

Selection of families

(A)

Mandatory preferences

Each public housing agency administering assistance under this section shall provide preference for such assistance to eligible families that are—

(i)

homeless (as such term is defined in section 103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302(a));

(ii)

at risk of homelessness (as such term is defined in section 401 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360)); or

(iii)

fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

(B)

Allocation

In allocating amounts made available under this section, the Secretary shall—

(i)

not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, allocate at least 50 percent of such amounts to public housing agencies in accordance with a formula that considers—

(I)

the capability of public housing agencies to promptly use emergency vouchers provided under this section; and

(II)

the need for emergency vouchers provided under this section in the geographical area, based on factors determined by the Secretary, including risk of transmission of coronavirus, high numbers or rates of sheltered and unsheltered homelessness, and economic and housing market conditions;

(ii)

allocate remaining amounts in accordance with a formula that considers—

(I)

the criteria under clause (i) and the success of a public housing agency in promptly utilizing vouchers awarded under clause (i); and

(II)

the capability of the public housing agency to create and manage structured partnerships with service providers for the delivery of appropriate community-based services; and

(iii)

designate the number of vouchers under this section that each public housing agency that is awarded funds under this section is authorized to administer.

(C)

Election not to administer

If a public housing agency elects not to administer amounts under this section, the Secretary shall award such amounts to other public housing agencies according to the criteria in subparagraph (B).

(D)

Failure to use vouchers promptly

If a public housing agency fails to issue all of its authorized vouchers under this section on behalf of eligible families within a reasonable period of time as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary shall reallocate any unissued vouchers and associated funds to others public housing agencies according to the criteria under subparagraph (B)(ii).

(3)

Waivers and alternative requirements

Any waiver or alternative requirement that the Secretary makes available to all public housing agencies in connection with assistance made available under the heading Tenant-Based Rental Assistance in title XII of division B of the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136; 134 Stat. 601) shall apply to assistance under this section until the expiration of such waiver or alternative requirement.

(4)

Termination of vouchers upon turnover

(A)

In general

A public housing agency may not reissue any vouchers made available under this section when assistance for the family initially assisted is terminated.

(B)

Reallocation

Upon termination of assistance for one or more families assisted by a public housing agency under this section, the Secretary shall reallocate amounts that are no longer needed by such public housing agency for assistance under this section to another public housing agency for the renewal of vouchers previously authorized under this section.