Housing Choice Voucher Data Tracking Program (AB 653)

Required Metrics

Assembly Bill (AB) 653 requires all public housing authorities (PHAs) in California to annually report four key metrics to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) related to Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) administration.

Monthly voucher success rates

The percentage of new voucher holders that successfully leased a qualifying unit within one year (365 days) from voucher issuance. (The use of a one-year period to determine voucher success does not necessarily mean that the voucher was recaptured by the PHA from the household; this is a metric that HCD is using for comparison across PHAs who offer various amounts of search time extensions. Some households may successfully lease a qualifying unit after 365 days of voucher issuance.)

Current payment standards

The maximum monthly assistance payment for a household assisted in the tenant-based voucher program before deducting the total tenant payment by the household, as defined by Section 982.4 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Average inspection wait times

The amount of time between the date the tenancy approval is submitted and the date the housing quality standard, or another eligible inspection, is conducted.

Search times

The initial period during which the PHA allows a household to find housing with a voucher. (This does not include extension time that PHAs frequently grant to households for securing a qualifying unit.)

Optional Metrics

In addition, HCD collects data on two optional metrics.

Landlord incentives

What, if any, incentives PHAs offer to participating landlords (for any tenant-based voucher program)

Support services

What, if any, housing navigation and/or support services PHAs offer to voucher recipient households (for any tenant-based voucher program)

Please note: The first round of data was collected as a pilot period and will reflect new vouchers issued in July 2024. Success rates are determined based on the number of new vouchers issued in July 2024 that were successfully leased-up by the end of July 2025. The next reporting cycle, launching in 2026, will track monthly success rates over several months and will be repeated annually on an ongoing basis.

For questions or more information, please contact HCD at HousingAuthorityData@hcd.ca.gov.

Barriers to Voucher Utilization and Success

Pursuant to AB 653, analysis of this data will inform a report to the California Legislature, including recommendations for enhancing success rates. This analysis focuses on Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs), which operate as tenant-based rental assistance, and Special Purpose Vouchers (SPVs), which often have a specific target population. This data collection and analysis do not include project-based voucher (PBV) administration.

Both HCVs and SPVs are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which establishes a federal framework that guides how local agencies administer the programs. Local public housing authorities (PHAs) throughout the state administer these rental assistance voucher programs. Understanding the persistent barriers that PHAs face in voucher administration is essential to informing effective solutions and strategies.

Voucher administration and accompanying success rates are influenced by several factors including local/regional housing market conditions, as well as program administration challenges such as landlord participation and available federal funding for the program. Research findings published by NYU’s Furman Center estimate that national success rates for the HCV program were approximately 57% for vouchers issued in 2022, reflecting these compounding challenges (Source: Success Rates in the Housing Choice Voucher Program: 2018-2022, NYU Furman Center).

PHAs face difficult tradeoffs in administering limited voucher resources. Although federal funding levels have remained relatively stable, they are increasingly insufficient due to the continued rise in housing costs. Many must determine how to issue the maximum number of vouchers possible without exceeding their annual budget authority, which is often constrained by uncertainty in federal funding. As a result, some PHAs are unable to issue new vouchers due to insufficient financial capacity. This is currently the case for several PHAs in California, underscoring the importance of sustained federal investment to ensure voucher programs can meet local housing needs. Differences across PHA size, geography, and Moving to Work (MTW) status further shape financial capacity and administrative flexibility.

Housing market pressures, limited supply, and rising rents further constrain voucher administration, often hindering the success and overall utilization of vouchers. Rising rents often render payment standards insufficient, and tight markets increase competition for available units which lengthens search times. Lack of landlord participation and persistent source-of-income discrimination also limit voucher success.

In addition, households served by Special Purpose Vouchers (SPVs) for specific populations such as veterans, those experiencing homelessness, and transition-age youth, often face additional barriers to securing housing. Approaches such as offering landlord incentives and providing housing navigation or supportive services can help improve outcomes. However, these strategies require additional financial and staffing resources, which many PHAs are already managing with limited capacity.