Rental Housing: Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight of Assistance to Survivors of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault
Fast Facts
The Department of Housing and Urban Development partners with public housing agencies and private property owners to provide housing assistance that allows families to pay affordable, income-based rent.
HUD requires that its housing providers have emergency transfer plans to move survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault from their current subsidized housing unit to one in a new location. Most housing providers we reviewed had these emergency transfer plans. However, providers often didn't specify how transfers would take place.
We recommended, among other things, that HUD provide more directions on how to implement emergency transfers.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Most housing providers (45 of 60) in GAO's nongeneralizable sample adopted emergency transfer plans for relocating victims of domestic violence or sexual assault (survivors), as required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Violence Against Women Act regulation. But these providers—public housing agencies and private property managers under contract with HUD—often did not specify how transfers would take place. Three providers also required survivors to provide additional information in order to be eligible for a transfer (although inconsistent with the regulation), which might delay a transfer approval and put survivors at risk.
Challenges to transferring survivors include differing program eligibility requirements based on program objectives, limited coordination among housing providers on vacant units, and a limited number of appropriate units, according to housing providers and interest groups GAO interviewed. To address these challenges, some housing providers said they used strategies such as sharing data on vacant units, prioritizing survivors from waitlists, and streamlining application processes.
Example of Potential Challenges in Making Emergency Transfers between HUD-Assisted Housing Programs
HUD has planned training and begun monitoring some housing providers on emergency transfers, but opportunities remain to improve oversight in this area. The 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act included multiyear funding for training and technical assistance. In January 2024, the agency established a multiyear training and technical assistance workplan to address needs expressed by housing providers. In 2023, it also began monitoring public housing agencies' compliance with Violence Against Women Act requirements. However, HUD has provided limited written instruction on implementing emergency transfers and inconsistently monitored private property managers with HUD contracts. For example, notices to housing providers did not include direction on coordinating transfers across programs. HUD regional officials noted that reviews of private property managers did not consistently check compliance with Violence Against Women Act requirements, because the review form did not include questions specific to emergency transfers. Without additional instruction and monitoring from HUD, housing providers may struggle to transfer survivors.
Why GAO Did This Study
Domestic violence and sexual assault can contribute to housing instability. The 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act expanded protections for survivors in HUD-assisted rental housing. The Act was reauthorized in 2022.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 Joint Explanatory Statement, includes a provision for GAO to review housing providers' emergency transfer plans. This report examines (1) the extent to which selected housing providers adopted emergency transfer plans, (2) challenges to and strategies for completing emergency transfers, and (3) HUD's support and oversight of housing providers' efforts.
GAO analyzed emergency transfer policies from a nongeneralizable sample of 60 housing providers, randomly selected within size and urban and rural classifications. GAO reviewed HUD policies, procedures, and training related to the 2013 and 2022 reauthorizations and compared HUD's monitoring against relevant regulations and agency policies. GAO also visited three sites and interviewed 20 housing providers and nine interest groups (such as housing industry and survivor advocacy groups).
Recommendations
GAO makes seven recommendations to HUD, including providing directions on how to implement emergency transfers and revising the form used to assess private property managers' compliance with Violence Against Women Act requirements. HUD agreed with all the recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Director on Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Equity finalizes a revised model emergency transfer plan that meets all VAWA regulatory requirements. (Recommendation 1) |
We are monitoring HUD's efforts to address this recommendation.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Assistant Secretary for PIH provides written instructions to PHAs, such as through notices or frequently asked questions, on how to implement emergency transfers, including information related to external transfers and coordination. (Recommendation 2) |
In November 2024, PIH and its technical assistance provider hosted a webinar for PHAs that provided a high-level overview of housing protections for survivors of domestic violence and specific requirements for PHAs. In July 2026, HUD officials reported that they asked HUD's technical assistance provider to develop resources specific to PHAs and other housing programs to help customize their emergency transfer plans. HUD officials said the development of these resources will include input on best practices from experts in emergency transfers. This recommendation will remain open until HUD finalizes these resources for PHAs on how to implement emergency transfers.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing provides written instructions to PBRA providers, such as through notices or frequently asked questions, on how to implement emergency transfers, including information related to external transfers and coordination. (Recommendation 3) |
In July 2026, HUD officials said that Multifamily Housing has drafted a VAWA-specific chapter to include in its multifamily servicing handbook that is being reviewed internally for publication. Officials also reported they asked HUD's technical assistance provider to develop resources specific to PBRAs and other housing programs to help customize their emergency transfer plans. HUD officials said the development of these resources will include input on best practices from experts in emergency transfers. This recommendation will remain open until HUD finalizes these resources for PBRAs on how to implement emergency transfers.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing revises the management and occupancy review form (HUD-9834) to incorporate specific questions on PBRA properties' compliance with VAWA emergency transfer requirements. (Recommendation 4) |
In July 2025, HUD officials said they are in the process of finalizing a revised management and occupancy review form (HUD-9834) that includes specific questions on PBRA properties' compliance with VAWA emergency transfer requirements. These questions will be included as a "VAWA Addendum" section of the form. In July 2026, HUD officials said they are waiting on approval of the form's revisions from the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This recommendation will remain open until the revised form is finalized.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Director on Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Equity finalizes a regulation implementing the compliance review requirements of VAWA 2022, including defining standards of compliance and standards for corrective action plans. (Recommendation 5) |
In July 2026, HUD officials said they intend to include the VAWA regulations as part of the long-term agenda items for the Spring regulatory agenda. HUD officials said the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity continues to accept and investigate complaints of VAWA violations from the public as the agency works on finalizing the regulation. This recommendation will remain open until HUD finalizes a regulation implementing VAWA's 2022 compliance review requirements.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Assistant Secretary for PIH develops and implements a plan, including a timeline, for PIH to collect the required data on emergency transfers from PHAs. (Recommendation 6) |
In July 2026, HUD officials said they are working on addressing this recommendation. This recommendation will remain open until HUD develops and implements a plan to collect required data on emergency transfers from PHAs.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of HUD should ensure the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing develops and implements a plan, including a timeline, for Multifamily to collect the required data on emergency transfers from PBRAs. (Recommendation 7) |
In July 2026, HUD officials said a plan to begin collecting these data through their existing system has been placed on hold., and they are working on an interim solution to collect the information. This recommendation will remain open until HUD develops and implements a plan to collect required data on emergency transfers from PBRAs.
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