Moments after Daniris Espinal walked into her new apartment in Brooklyn, she expressed her gratitude through prayer. In the nights that followed, she would often awaken to touch the walls of her new home, seeking solace and reassurance, and this emotional act sometimes brought her to tears as she sipped her morning coffee.

Espinal's newfound home was made possible through a vital federal program known as Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs), which provides rental assistance to approximately 60,000 families and individuals escaping homelessness or domestic violence, a situation Espinal knows all too well.

Unfortunately, the EHV program is rapidly depleting its funds, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) predicting that the allocated money could be exhausted by the end of next year. This impending shortfall could leave tens of thousands of families scrambling to cover their rent once more.

Analysts warn that this would result in one of the most significant one-time losses of rental assistance in the United States. The risk of evictions could push those who have worked hard to rebuild their lives back into homelessness or potentially abusive situations.

“For these families, having the EHV program stop would completely upend all the progress that they’ve made,” stated Sonya Acosta, a policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, an organization that researches housing assistance. “And then you multiply that by 59,000 households,” she noted, highlighting the magnitude of the issue.

Launched in 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act by then-President Joe Biden, this program was initially allocated $5 billion to help people escape circumstances of homelessness, domestic violence, and human trafficking. Beneficiaries have included children, seniors, and veterans from various cities, including San Francisco, Dallas, and Tallahassee, Florida, all with the expectation that the funding would last until the end of the decade. However, skyrocketing rental costs have meant that the funds are being depleted at a far quicker rate than anticipated.

Recently, HUD sent notices to organizations responsible for distributing the funds, instructing them to “manage your EHV program with the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.” As it stands, the future of the EHV program hinges on Congress, which could allocate additional funds during federal budget negotiations. However, given current Republican efforts to reduce federal spending, the prospect of increased funding seems bleak.

Democratic Representative Maxine Waters, a proponent of the EHV program since its inception, is advocating for an additional infusion of $8 billion. Yet, organizations lobbying for this funding report a lack of optimism regarding its approval. Four Republican lawmakers involved in budget discussions did not respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press.

Espinal, now residing in a three-bedroom apartment with her two daughters, ages 4 and 19, relies heavily on the EHV voucher for her over $3,000 monthly rent, an amount that would be nearly impossible to manage without this assistance. Her journey out of an abusive marriage presented significant challenges, including significant financial burdens. Espinal had quit her job upon her husband's suggestion, who promised to cover the family expenses, only for their financial situation to deteriorate dramatically.

Her husband's history of anger led to a custody ruling in her favor in 2022, allowing her to gain custody of their daughter. However, her stability was still fragile, with substantial back rent and no income to support her family. The federal eviction prevention assistance during the pandemic had provided temporary relief, but it was only a stopgap solution.

When the Emergency Housing Vouchers program was initiated, it specifically aimed to assist individuals like Espinal, who were susceptible to homelessness due to domestic violence. According to Gina Cappuccitti, director of housing access at New Destiny Housing, a nonprofit organization that has connected 700 domestic violence survivors to the voucher program, “a leading cause of family homelessness is domestic violence” in New York City.

Now that she has secured a place to live, Espinal feels a renewed sense of worth and identity, stating that finding a secure home has helped her regain her sense of peace. Despite her newly found stability, Espinal keeps a watchful eye on her finances, saving money with the looming fear of losing everything she has worked hard to rebuild.