SEATTLE—May 27, 2004—Housing leaders from Seattle, King County and Tacoma today joined Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) in calling for community pressure, local government support and congressional action to turn back a coming crisis in the federal Section 8 Housing program that has made a dramatic difference in the lives of American families, including Seattle resident Sheila Hayes.
The assembled leaders spoke to a gathering of about 50 housing providers and advocates at the Seattle Housing Authority. They said the Bush Administration is proposing devastating 40 percent cuts in the federal program, including a retroactive adjustment due to take effect shortly that would impact families across the region.
"It used to break my heart to hear my kids say, 'Mom, are we going to get kicked out?'," Seattle resident Sheila Hayes said at a news conference. "Children don't need that stress."
Begun in the Nixon Administration, Section 8 provides federal funds in the form of Housing Choice Vouchers that supplement the income of qualifying families, and enable them to rent private market housing. Participants pay 30 percent of their income as rent, and landlords receive the balance from the Section 8 program. The program provides rent subsidies to more than 19,000 residents in the Puget Sound region, many of them elderly and disabled.
"Section 8 has been an exemplary federal program that is good for people, good for landlords, and good for communities throughout Puget Sound," said King County Housing Authority Director Stephen Norman.
Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), who represents Seattle as part of the 7th Congressional District, said: "Section 8 is a helping hand, not a handout. By any measure Section 8 has been overwhelmingly successful and, if anything, it should be expanded to help more people."
Seattle Housing Authority Director Tom Tierney said agencies are still assessing the potential impact from the retroactive shortfall and long term proposed cuts, but he warned of a gathering storm that could hurt hundreds of families in the region. "We can't afford to wait for this crisis to hit or it will be too late. It is imperative that we all understand the implications of cuts to this program."
Tacoma Housing Director Peter Ansara explained the program has transformed peoples' lives. "While we all understand the necessity of cost control it is essential to promote the idea of preserving the unique values of the housing choice voucher program that does not disenfranchise private funders, poor people, property owners and the community we live in."
In closing, Congressman McDermott called on local governments to pass resolutions supporting the continuation of the Section 8 program at current funding levels, at a minimum. McDermott said he was working with congressional leaders in other affected cities across the country to get new federal legislation passed to protect the program. McDermott is one of 101 co-sponsors of HR 4263 that would protect the program.
Other members of the Washington delegation in the House who have signed onto the bill include Norm Dicks (6th District), Jay Inslee (1st District) and Adam Smith (9th District).