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Get HUD What People Need
Issue: Congress plans to pass a Joint Funding Resolution
that will set funding levels for HUD housing programs for fiscal year
2007 (through Sept. 30). The resolution as planned will fund all HUD
programs at 2006 levels unless there will be “cataclysmic”
consequences. They are trying to pass the resolution before Feb. 5,
when President Bush provides Congress with his 2008 budget request.
Background: HUD programs face severe funding shortfalls,
and thousands of people will either lose their housing or have no
access to housing if HUD programs are left at 2006 levels. Here's
what is at stake.
• Without a $487 million increase for 2007, 70,000 vouchers will
be cut at local agencies.
• Contracts on at least 107,000 Section 8 project-based units
will not be able to be renewed in 2007 if Congress does not increase
the project-based Section 8 budget by $636 million.
• Public housing operating subsidies will be underfunded by about
25 percent of what HUD says is needed in 2007. And, public housing capital
needs will continue to be neglected if this fund remains at 2006 levels.
Public housing has lost more than $1 billion in funding since 2001.
• Unless funding is increased by $185 million, 14,000 homeless
people will be consigned to another year of homelessness.
• Even people served by smaller programs like Housing for Persons
with AIDS (HOPWA) will be in jeopardy. If the $14 million requested
increase for HOPWA is not enacted in 2007, 3,500 fewer people with AIDS
(and their families) will receive housing assistance.
• If funding for the Census is not increased by $50 million for
2007, the ability of the Census Bureau to accurately determine funding
allocations and produce the American Housing Survey will be compromised.
Action: Call 1(877)322-5742 toll free and ask to
be connected with your representative. Then call back two more times
and ask to speak with each of your senators. When you’re connected,
ask to speak to the staff person in each who deals with housing issues
and give them the following message:
“I am calling to urge Representative/Senator __________ to adequately
fund all HUD programs in the fiscal year 2007 joint funding resolution.
HUD programs face severe funding shortfalls, and thousands of people
will either lose their housing or have no access to housing if HUD programs
are left at fiscal year 2006 levels.”
Calls are best, but if you can’t do that, you can email your representative
and two senators.
Rep. Jay Inslee, 1st Dist.: jay.inslee.mail.house.gov;
Rep. Rick Larsen, 2nd Dist.: rick.larsen@mail.house.gov;
Rep. Jim McDermott, 7th Dist.: www.house.gov/mcdermott;
Rep. Dave Reichert, 8th Dist.: www.house.gov/reichert
; Rep. Adam Smith, 9th Dist.: www.house.gov/adamsmith;
Sen. Patty Murray: www.murray.senate.gov/email;
Sen. Maria Cantwell: maria_cantwell@cantwell.senate.gov
For more information about this issue, or to find out who represents you,
visit www.nlihc.org.
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