United Church of Christ Action Alert
The Section 8 program is the largest program in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It provides rental subsidies targeted primarily to very low-income people. Recipients are required to pay 30 percent of their income for rent, and Section 8 makes up the rest. It does more than any other program to keep families from falling into homelessness, and is a key component of an anti-poverty strategy.
The President's proposed budget for FY 2005 would cut Section 8 funding by $1.5 billion. This comes on top of an April 22 rule change in distribution of HUD funds which has already cut the program back once this year. This rule change restricted funding to states and local agencies to the average level of housing costs for the particular HUD multi-state region in which they are based. While this was not a problem where housing costs are lower than average, it amounted to a funding cut for areas where housing costs are higher than average.
With rental costs rising, more funding, not less, is needed to sustain the current level of subsidy. This proposed budget cut for the Section 8 program will leave thousands homeless.
Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support full funding for Section 8 vouchers and a return to pre-April 22 HUD distribution rules. Urge them not to turn their backs on those most in need. To send a fax or e-mail click here.
Visit the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the National Coalition for the Homeless to learn more about this issue.
