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Important Changes

Important Changes  Updates to the Alternative Rental Voucher Program (AHVP)

Date: 04/16/2026
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Notice to AHVP Participants

Dear AHVP Participant:

This letter is for households with an Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) voucher administered by a local housing authority or regional administering agency.  AHVP is overseen by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (HLC).

To meet the goal of keeping all families housing during a time of rising rental costs, HLC is making changes to AHVP that may increase your portion of the rent over the next year or two.  Some of the policies we are changing are:

  • No longer paying for security deposit, first month’s rent, or last month’s rent at new lease up.
  • Removing a heat deduction for households that pay separately for heat.  Households that pay for any utility will continue to pay less of their income in rent.
  • Removing two small deductions for certain expenses for disabled household members.  There is no change to medical deductions.
  • Applying ceiling rent changes at recertification instead of in the future.

Additionally, we would like to remind you of some of your obligations under your AHVP voucher.  It is extremely important that you comply with these obligations as non-compliance may be grounds for termination.  These obligations include:

  • Paying your portion of rent on time.
  • Reporting every income change within 30 days.  This includes when your income goes up or down.
  • Reporting any changes to who lives with you and asking permission before adding adults to your household.
  • Providing information requested as part of your recertification right away.
  • Complying with your lease.

We understand that changing these policies may increase costs for households.  We are also making changes to limit rents that property owners can receive.  We made these choices to ensure that AHVP can serve as many households as possible given limited funding.

If you have questions about your voucher, your obligations, or how changes may affect your household, please contact the housing agency administering your voucher.  This is the agency that informs you of the amount of rent you must pay your landlord. If you have additional concerns about AHVP overall, please feel free to reach out to HLC at EOHLCmrvp@mass.gov.

Sincerely,

Danielle Bastarache
Undersecretary, Division of Public Housing and Rental Assistance

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