But TANF and related employment, housing and children’s programs are on the chopping block in Gov. John Kitzhaber’s proposed budget. Kitzhaber is looking to strip $12 million to $20 million from the programs, on top of federal cuts which have already reduced the state’s TANF receipts by 16 percent. The cuts are an effort to fill the $3.5 billion shortfall in Oregon’s state budget .
Kitzhaber’s plan is to reduce the time allowed on state TANF from 60 months, or five years, to 18 months. That's the total for life. It's a drastic reduction that could cull between 7,000 and 8,000 low- to no-income families from basic assistance.
Tomorrow, April 5, The House Ways and Means subcommittee will hold a public hearing on the state’s budget for Children Adult & Families, which includes TANF. The hearing begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Salem Capitol: 900 Court Street. More information, including details on all of the programs at risk, is available at the Partners for a Hunger Free Portland Web site. The organization and others are leading a charge to preserve TANF funding for the thousands of families who have no other resources. If you can’t appear at the hearing in person, there is information you can send a letter through the Web site to be included in testimony.
Posted by Joanne Zuhl
