HUD Directs Houston to Revoke Housing Vouchers

A recent letter from HUD instructs the Houston Housing Authority to take drastic measures to reduce a projected budget gap.

1 minute read

May 2, 2017, 9:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


Houston, Construction

Sandra Fernandez / Flickr

Under new orders from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Houston's Housing Authority is rescinding 900 housing vouchers.

Citing a projected $9 million funding shortfall, HUD's letter directs Houston to "take every possible action to reduce costs." Specifically, the HHA must stop issuing new housing choice vouchers for the rest of the year, and rescind any vouchers issued for homes still waiting to clear final inspections.

More than 28,000 families are on the program's waiting list. The cuts are not expected to impact the 18,000 families currently receiving vouchers, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017 in Houston Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Yellow bird with black head sitting on power line.

City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity

The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event where participants use the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity, contributing valuable data to support conservation and scientific research.

1 minute ago - City Nature Challenge

Screenshot of robot with fox and bird in The Wild Robot animated movie.

A Lone Voice for Climate: How The Wild Robot Stands Apart in Hollywood

Among this year’s Oscar-nominated films, only The Wild Robot passed the Climate Reality Check, a test measuring climate change representation in storytelling, highlighting the ongoing lack of climate awareness in mainstream Hollywood films.

1 hour ago - The Hollywood Reporter

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw