HUD Project Based Vouchers, A Tool to Increase Extremely Low Income Housing Supply, Is Under Used Outside of Portland Metro Area.

HUD's voucher dashboard has a wide range of use and cost data.  I noticed that data includes detailed project based voucher utilization data, including the use of project based RAD vouchers. Data is reported as of May 2022.

This post is focused on the use of NON RAD project based vouchers. 

Project based vouchers can be an important tool for increasing housing supply because their associated long term contract gives certainty to an income stream for lending purposes AND an "affordable AND available" supply of income restricted housing. 

Project based vouchers are especially important because they can make units affordable to extremely low income renters (including homeless renters) who could not afford 50% or 60% MFI priced units that are typical in LIHTC projects. 

• In Oregon the HUD data shows 14 PHA's have project based vouchers under lease; these 8 Oregon  housing authorities had NO reported project based vouchers. 

• The 14 PHA's WITH project based vouchers have 30,898 units under lease and 3,756/12.2% are NON RAD project based vouchers.
• The 3 Portland metro PHA's had 14,573 voucher units under lease and 3,099/21.3% are NON RAD project based vouchers.
• The 11 non Portland metro PHA's with project based vouchers had 16,325 voucher units under lease and 659/4% are NON RAD project based vouchers.  
• IF non Portland metro PHA's NON RAD project based voucher rate was the same as the Portland metro PHA NON RAD project based rate there would be 2,810 MORE project based vouchers outside of the Portland metro area. (16,325 vouchers *21.3%[Portland metro rate] =3,469 vouchers. Minus 659 current project based vouchers=2,810 ADDITIONAL project based vouchers). 
• IF the 8 PHA's without project based vouchers added project based vouchers the count 0f 2,810 additional project based vouchers would increase. 

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.