SUBJECT: Support EHVs & other federal rental assistance
TO: ted.lieu@mail.house.gov
CC: lieu.staff@mail.house.gov, marc.cevasco@mail.house.gov
Dear Representative Lieu,Â
I write to urge you to prioritize continued funding for federal housing assistance programs, and especially to provide ongoing support for the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Program in FY26 so that none of the 59,000 households who rely on these vouchers are forced back into homelessness or unsafe situations.
In Los Angeles alone, more than 3,000 people have a roof over their heads because of EHVs. Without renewed funding, those same households will be at immediate risk of losing their homes, threatening a dramatic spike in homelessness at a moment when our region is already stretched thin. These vouchers have proven uniquely effective, helping people secure housing faster than any other HUD voucher program even in a period of soaring rents and intense market competition. Yet because rental costs have far outpaced incomes, the program has burned through funding more quickly than anticipated, leaving thousands of families exposed to a devastating funding cliff.
The urgency is compounded by the President’s budget proposal, which would slash nearly every federal housing program. Federal rental assistance that helps almost 10 million people afford a stable home faces a proposed 43 percent cut, an unprecedented blow that would destabilize families nationwide.
Los Angeles cannot afford this setback. I urge you to fight to make EHV funding permanent, expand rental assistance to more households, and most urgently ensure that the FY26 Transportation-HUD Appropriations Bill rejects any cuts and provides sufficient resources to keep every one of those 59,000 households housed.
Our priority should be expanding investment in housing until everyone has a safe place to live, not forcing more families into homelessness as rents continue to rise. Along with securing EHVs, Congress must fully fund Housing Choice Vouchers, resource homeless response systems, and protect vital programs like SNAP and Medicaid that prevent families from having to choose between rent, food, and healthcare.
Thank you for your leadership in protecting housing stability for the people of the 33rd District.
