By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
People on an emergency housing choice voucher will get preference when, and if, they opt to switch to another Housing Authority of Glasgow program.
Establishing a preference for those 10 families on an emergency voucher was one of the agenda items the board members addressed during the Sept. 17 authority board meeting.
As previously reported, Executive Operations Officer Sheri Lee explained that the emergency voucher, which was created during the pandemic to battle the increasing prevalence of homelessness, has been “sunset,” meaning the program will not be funded after Sept. 30, 2026.
“There will be no more funding for those EHV vouchers that we were fortunate enough to receive here in Barren County,” Lee said. “What that means is as someone comes off that program, we cannot issue that voucher to a new family. That voucher basically goes away. After 2026 we will not receive any funding, period, even to continue those families still on the program.”
In an effort to maintain assistance, Lee said it was the recommendation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development that local Authority’s establish a preference for families on the sunset program.
“That preference gives them priority over other families that are on the waiting list for a regular housing voucher,” Lee said. “The other thing we can do is give that family a preference on our public housing list, so if they want to move into public housing, they will still get rental assistance.”
There are 10 emergency housing vouchers currently in use, according to the Authority. The same information states there are 171 individuals, or families, on the waiting list for the housing choice voucher program and 146 on the public housing waiting list. Right now preference is given to those who live or work in Barren County.
Lee said the government program was initially planned to continue until 2030 but with increasing rent prices it is “running out of money.” The 10 emergency housing vouchers receive $3,426 in funding, according to information provided by the housing authority.
