Friday news roundup 5/9/14
This week the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) highlighted the House Appropriation Committee’s proposed 2015 spending bill for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which would reduce funding for rental assistance and anti-homelessness programs by $510 million below this year’s level.
In its blog post, CBPP identified five major problems with the bill:
- Funding for the housing choice voucher (HCV) program would probably be insufficient for renewals at the 2014 level
- Funding for HCV administrative fees would be reduced by $150 million without corresponding streamlining measures
- The bill would reduce public housing funding by $290 million and does not increase funding for the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)
- The bill funds homeless assistance at $2.1 billion, the same level as in 2014 and $300 million below the President’s request
- The bill cuts funding for the HOME block grant, which helps rehabilitate or construct rental properties and assist low-income homeowners, by $300 million below the 2014 level
The article notes that while Congress is working under tight budget limits for non-defense discretionary programs, it should try to do more to help low-income families. In other news:
ABC7 News: SF supervisor turns to Uber to help public housing residents
Center for the Study of Social Policy: Issues of race equity are integral to community change efforts that seek to achieve better results for children and families in persistently distressed neighborhoods
Fast Company: HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan on how design can prepare us for climate change
The HUDdle: Housing's role in reducing the burden of asthma
Off The Charts: A million things that housing vouchers are doing for mothers on their day
NHC: House THUD bill jeopardizes core housing and community development programs
Planetizen: HUD rental assistance on an unsustainable path — what can be done to save it?
