The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is moving closer to awarding more than $43 million under a new type of housing voucher.

The agency has detailed its noncompetitive allocation strategy and program requirements for the new Stability Vouchers that seek to get some of the most vulnerable people into housing. The funding will support approximately 4,000 new vouchers.

The program also aims to promote a communitywide approach to ending homelessness. Read HUD’s notice here.

“Along with the $322 million in Continuum of Care (CoC) grants that HUD recently announced, the Stability Vouchers will enable communities to partner with health and housing agencies to coordinate their efforts to reduce homelessness and help thousands of people move off the streets into permanent housing,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge.

The new notice is designed to direct Stability Vouchers to public housing authorities partnering with CoC and “victim service” providers to implement coordinated approaches to reduce the prevalence of homelessness, improve service engagement, and promote housing stability while ensuring geographical need of assistance.

According to HUD, the Stability Voucher is similar to the Emergency Housing Voucher Program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act in that it includes programmatic flexibilities to help families successfully secure a unit. In coupling Stability Vouchers with CoC-funded supportive services, families can be provided resources and services that will help them to obtain and maintain housing.

To be eligible to receive an Stability Voucher funding allocation, a public housing agency (PHA) must currently administer a Housing Choice Voucher program. Nonprofit agencies that only administer mainstream vouchers are not eligible to receive a Stability Voucher allocation. The noncompetitive allocation formula will be based on estimates of household experiencing or at risk of homelessness by geography.

In order to be eligible for a Stability Voucher, a household must meet one of four eligibility criteria:

· Individuals and families who are currently experiencing homelessness;

· Individuals and families at risk of homelessness;

· Individuals and families fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault; and

· Veterans and families that include a veteran family member that meets one of the preceding criteria.

Additional details are in the HUD notice.