County won’t see Emergency Housing Voucher money

The American Rescue Plan, which Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., helped shepherd through the Senate, allowed the Department of Housing and Urban Development to allocate additional vouchers to public housing authorities in May. This meant $5 billion nationally and $28 million for Washington housing authorities.

The Emergency Housing Voucher program made the Housing Authority of Grant County eligible for $87,648, but it had to decline because it had ample money, said Executive Director Carol Anderson.

Because of the State Department of Commerce’s Treasury Rent Assistance Program (T-RAP), which allotted the Housing Authority of Grant County around $6.9 million to spend by the end of this year for rent relief, it is currently at spending capacity and unable to accept more money, she said.

Instead, the federal funds will be disbursed among other eligible housing authorities, she said.

Statewide, the plan also included more than $400 million in rental assistance and nearly $100 million for housing and services to support people experiencing homelessness.

The new funding was estimated to serve 2,443 households across the state, specifically tailored 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.

In Grant County, the Emergency Housing Voucher funds would have equated to around 12 vouchers to be used within 18 months on a reimbursement basis, Anderson said.

In addition, the funds available through the Department of Housing and Urban Development would require the Housing Authority of Grant County to draft all new program rules and policies for those 12 vouchers, she said.