[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 40 (Friday, March 26, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E456-E457]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          DISABILITIES ADVOCATES FIGHT BUSH SECTION 8 PROPOSAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 25, 2004

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, the Administration proposal 
for a drastic reduction in the ability of the Section 8 program to help 
people in need has caused a great deal of dismay, especially among 
those organizations that exist to provide services to the most 
vulnerable in our society. On March 22, a broad and inclusive coalition 
of people concerned with people with disabilities, people with low 
incomes, and others who have legitimate need for assistance sent a very 
thoughtful letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on 
Appropriations, expressing their strong disagreement with this 
proposal. As the coalition notes, the funding level proposed by the 
Administration would mean that ``approximately 250,000 low income 
families with children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities 
could lose their vouchers.''

[[Page E457]]

  Mr. Speaker, this will be one of the most important issues on which 
this House will vote this year, and I ask that this very thoughtful 
letter by this broad range of groups be printed here for the benefit of 
the Members who will have to vote on this.
                                                   March 22, 2004.
     Hon. C. W. Bill Young,
     Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Young: The undersigned groups are writing to 
     express our strong opposition to the severe cut to the 
     Section 8 voucher program in the HUD Fiscal Year 2005 budget. 
     The President's request for the voucher program is more than 
     $1.6 billion short of fully funding all vouchers in use. At 
     this funding level, approximately 250,000 low income families 
     with children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities 
     could lose their vouchers.
       This shortfall comes at a time when a recent analysis of 
     the American Housing Survey reveals 31 percent of all 
     households had housing problems in 2001. Now is not the time 
     to cut the funding for a housing program that has served as 
     the ``linchpin'' of our federal housing policy for the last 
     two decades.
       We also urge you to oppose the proposed Flexible Voucher 
     Program that would make significant changes in the program's 
     structure. The proposed changes would create a block grant 
     program and eliminate many of the long-standing rules that 
     benefit low income families. Under the proposed block grant, 
     PHAs would receive a lump sum that would not be adequate to 
     serve all current voucher holders. The elimination of 
     statutory requirements including targeting the program to the 
     lowest income families and ending the requirement that 
     tenants pay no more than 30 percent of their income for their 
     rent could have a devastating effect on families across the 
     nation.
       The Administration has expressed concern about the growth 
     in costs of the voucher program. This increase was largely 
     the result of rising utilization rates, expansion of the 
     voucher program by Congress, and the widening gap between 
     rental housing costs and family incomes in recent years. 
     However, a recent study by CBO projects that the growth rate 
     of Section 8 expenditures will slow to 1.8 percent in fiscal 
     year 2005. They also project the costs to continue to level 
     off because of the cooling of the housing market as well as 
     increases in wages as the economy recovers.
       The Section 8 voucher program is an effective and critical 
     resource. Housing assistance is needed by the many low income 
     families with children, elderly, people with disabilities, 
     and victims of domestic violence who would not have safe, 
     decent, and affordable housing without it. Housing 
     authorities cannot be expected to do more with inadequate 
     resources. We respectfully urge you to provide the necessary 
     funding for all existing vouchers and reject HUD's plan to 
     dismantle the housing voucher program.
           Sincerely,
     ACORN
     Alliance for Children and Families
     Alliance for Healthy Homes
     Alliance for Retired Americans
     American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
     American Association of People with Disabilities
     American Association on Mental Retardation
     American Baptist Churches USA
     American Friends Service Committee
     American Network of Community Options and Resources
     American Society on Aging
     Association for Gerentology and Human Development in 
         Historical Black Colleges and Universities
     Association of University Centers on Disabilities
     Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
     Brain Injury Association of America
     Catholic Health Association
     Child Welfare League of America
     Children's Defense Fund
     Church Women United
     Corporation for Supportive Housing
     Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
     Families USA
     Generation United
     Gray Panthers
     International Union, UAW
     Jewish Council for Public Affairs
     Local Initiatives Support Corporation
     Lutheran Services in America
     National Advocacy Center of The Sisters of the Good Shepherd
     National Affordable Housing Management Association
     National AIDS Housing Coalition
     National Alliance for The Mentally Ill
     National Alliance to End Homelessness
     National Association for the Education of Homeless Children 
         and Youth
     National Association of Housing Cooperatives
     National Association of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs
     National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers
     National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems
     National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
     National Coalition for the Homeless
     National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
     National Council of Jewish Women
     National Council on Independent Living
     National Council on the Aging
     National Health Care for the Homeless Council
     National Housing Conference
     National Housing Trust
     National Low Income Housing Coalition
     National Mental Health Association
     National Network to End Domestic Violence
     National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness
     National Rural Housing Coalition
     National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness
     Network, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
     Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Washington Office
     Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty And Law
     The Arc of the United States
     The Coalition on Human Needs
     The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task 
         Force
     The Enterprise Foundation
     The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
     Union For Reform Judaism
     United Cerebral Palsy
     United Spinal Association (formerly Eastern Paralyzed 
         Veterans Association)
     United Way of America
     U.S. Jesuit Conference
     Volunteers of America

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