Many social safety net programs struggle with incomplete program take-up, oftentimes due to high participation costs.  The Housing Choice Voucher Program involves a complex, multi-step take-up process and coordination with the private rental market, creating considerable barriers to entry for participants.  Potential voucher recipients also must navigate an increasingly difficult housing search process in a limited amount of time, making it even more challenging to use their vouchers at all, and to find a home that meets their preferences.  In this paper, I evaluate the effects of two unique features of the voucher program: the timing of voucher issuance, and variation in how long voucher recipients are given to search.  In the aggregate, the timing of voucher issuance causes a decline in the likelihood of using a voucher within a certain time frame, and but has no effect on the chance of a participant ever using their voucher.  However, housing authorities vary in their time restrictions on voucher use and their leniency in granting extensions.  At housing authorities that do not offer extensions, end-of-month issuance results in a 6 percentage point decline in voucher success rates.  Households at these PHAs see shorter search times, and are more likely to end up in over-crowded housing situations.

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