Past Issues :: 2007 February 16 :: Act Now
Stop the federal dismantling of critical homeless housing programs
President
Bush’s 2008 Budget Request would slash up to 185,000 affordable
housing units over the next 10 years. While the president and
his cronies at Housing and Urban Development continue to tour
the country applauding local efforts to end homelessness in 10
years, the reality continues to spill over in the form of more
and more housing units being lost. Earlier this month, the president’s
proposed HUD budget was $35.2 billion, 8 percent below last year’s
budget.
The president’s budget request does not include sufficient funding for the voucher program — a tool used throughout the 10-year plan to end home-lessness. The request also seeks to decrease Section 8 contract renewals, along with a reduction of $700 million in the Community Block Grant program. The request would also cut housing funds for people with disabilities, the elderly, people with HIV/AIDS, and the Homeless Assistance GrantProgram. And Congressional action to freeze funding for HUD’s programs at 2006 levels is already in the works.
According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, the planned cuts to funding would leave public housing operating subsidies underfunded by about 25 percent of what HUD says is needed in fiscal year 2007. Public housing has lost more than $1 billion in funding since fiscal year 2001. The NLIHC says that unless funding is increased by $185 million, 14,000 homeless people will be consigned to another year of homelessness.
It’s inconceivable that the president would make more cuts to an already impoverished HUD budget, especially in a time when local governments are making small but significant progress through the 10-year plan to end homelessness.
What you can do…
Ask Oregon Senators Gordon Smith (R) and Ron Wyden (D) to advocate for an increase in the current HUD budget. Explain that we are experiencing a housing crisis in Oregon for the state’s poorest residents, and that the continued stifling of funds from the Bush administration is hurting our most vulnerable neighbors and undermining the potential of the 10-year plans to end homelessness.
- Call Ron Wyden’s office at 503-326-7525, or visit his website to send email.
- Call Gordon Smith’s office at 503-326-3386, or visit his website to send email.
OREGON REPRESENTATIVES
David Wu |
Greg Walden |
Earl Blumenauer |
Peter DeFazio |
Darlene Hooley |
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