House Sub-Committee considers
appropriations
Funding levels remain inadequate, according
to some
WASHINGTON, D.C.—July 16, 2003—The House
Sub-Committee on Appropriations marked up the VA-HUD appropriations
bill on July 15, amid controversy concerning the accuracy of the
Bush administration's estimates of funding needed to maintain the
Housing Choice Voucher program.
According to Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of
the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities,
"New data shows that approximately 184,000 families will lose
their vouchers and face homelessness unless HUD requests additional
funding from Congress." Zaterman points out that during last
year's appropriations debate, HUD and Congress committed to renew
all existing vouchers. The non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
released a report on July 11 that estimated the Administration's
request is $1.26 billion below what is needed to maintain the
current level of assistance.
SHA's Deputy Executive Director Al Levine estimates
that if the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is correct, SHA
could find itself unable to fund up to 500 vouchers that are
currently being used by needy households. "It is very difficult
to determine whose estimates are correct," noted Levine,
"but we are watching the situation very closely."
Other areas of the HUD budget are funded at about
the same levels as last year. According to Zaterman, "From 2002
through 2004 (proposed), each component part of the public housing
program has either been drastically under-funded or eliminated.
Compared to funding levels in FY2001, the cumulative proposed
funding loss to public housing in the last three years exceeds $1.3
billion.
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