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.