Mainstream Vouchers

Q. What types of families are to be issued turnover Mainstream vouchers that were (1) originally funded by HUD using five-year budget authority under Section 811 (of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990), and (2) renewed using Section 811 one-year budget authority upon expiration of the five-year budget authority?

A. Only elderly disabled families and non-elderly disabled families are to be issued turnover Mainstream vouchers originally funded with Section 811 five-year budget authority and subsequently renewed using Section 811 one-year budget authority. Failure to reissue turnover Section 811 funded Mainstream vouchers to disabled families will result in forfeiture of these vouchers.

Issuance and continued use of Mainstream vouchers is now tracked by HUD in the Public Housing Information Center (PIC). See paragraph 6 of Notice PIH 2005-5 (HA) and Notice PIH 2004-13 (HA) regarding forfeiture of the Section 811 funded Mainstream vouchers, and the tracking of these vouchers in PIC, respectively.

Q. What should a public housing agency (PHA) or nonprofit disability organization do if it finds itself already in, or approaching, a situation in which there are not enough disabled families to use all of its Section 811 funded Mainstream vouchers?

A. Consistent with the Notices of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Mainstream Program, PHAs and nonprofits administering Section 811 funded Mainstream vouchers are expected to conduct outreach efforts to generate additional applications from disabled families. Agencies administering Section 811 funded Mainstream vouchers must be proactive in maintaining an adequate pool of disabled families on their waiting list, and are expected to take additional measures wherein warranted to maintain full utilization of their Mainstream vouchers; e.g., opening an otherwise closed waiting list to accept applications from only disabled families.

Q. May a PHA issue turnover Mainstream vouchers not funded with Section 811 funding to non-disabled families?

A. These non-Section 811 Mainstream vouchers were originally funded from FY 1997 to FY 2002 with one-year budget authority not derived from Section 811 funding, and were provided for non-elderly disabled families. Turnover non-Section 811 Mainstream vouchers must be reissued, to the extent practicable, to non-elderly disabled families. It is noted, however, that if the PHA determines that it is not practicable to reissue non-Section 811 Mainstream turnover vouchers to non-elderly disabled families, these vouchers will not be forfeited and the PHA may issue these turnover vouchers to other waiting list applicants (including elderly disabled families and non-disabled families).

Q. What role can nonprofit disability organizations play in connection with Mainstream vouchers?

A. Nonprofit disability organizations continue to have a significant role to play.

First, beginning in FY 1999, nonprofit disability organizations were eligible to apply for Mainstream vouchers. Many nonprofits did apply and were funded in that year and subsequent years. These nonprofit awardees continue to administer Mainstream vouchers.

Second, also beginning in FY 1999, HUD's Mainstream Notices of Funding Availability began encouraging PHAs to involve nonprofit organizations that provide services to the disabled. The NOFAs indicated these nonprofits could serve in various capacities; e.g., as a contract administrator for the PHA's Mainstream vouchers or as a subcontractor responsible for assisting disabled families to find suitable housing and/or gaining access to supportive services.