SUPPORTING SECTION 8
FUNDING
WHEREAS, Section 8 voucher assistance is critical to ensuring affordable
housing currently for approximately 2 million families, elderly and disabled
households in our cities nationwide; and
WHEREAS, mayors and their residents who receive Section 8 vouchers
are facing a serious crisis as a result of a policy guidance by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) based on Congressional law;
and
WHEREAS, Congress allocated an additional $1 billion dollars in the
FY 2004 budget with the intent to fund every Section 8 voucher allocated
throughout the country; and
WHEREAS, contrary to this congressional action, HUD plans to
implement a renewal funding formula in FY 2004 for Section 8 vouchers based on
costs incurred by the program as of August 2003 (adjusted for inflation),
rather than actual cost data, which outpaces HUD’s adjustment factor; and
WHEREAS, jurisdictions across the country will be forced to make an
immediate decision to cancel existing Section 8 voucher contracts, reduce the
federal subsidy and/or require the most needy citizens to pay higher rents in
excess of 30% of their monthly income; and
WHEREAS, the President’s proposed budget for FY 2005 contains a Flexible
Voucher Program which proposes to block grant Section 8 voucher funding to
local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs); and
WHEREAS, the Flexible Voucher program does not provide adequate
funding levels to fully fund every Section 8 voucher currently allocated; and
WHEREAS, approximately 250,000 Section 8 vouchers would be
eliminated across the country based on the FY 2005 proposed funding requests,
resulting in unforeseen housing and financial hardships by the most needy of
our low-income population and working poor,
WHEREAS, in addition to eliminating existing families from the
Section 8 voucher program, the far-reaching effects of the Flexible Voucher
proposal could result in (1) higher rent payments by those citizens who can
least afford an increase, (2) private landlords less willing to participate in
the program if subsidies are eliminated or unreliable, which would severely
reduce the already limited housing choices for low-income households that have
been available over the past few years, and (3) fewer vouchers available for
families, elderly and disabled households who have been waiting for years to
receive a Section 8 voucher; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,
that the U.S. Conference of Mayors urges HUD to reconsider its FY 2004 renewal
funding formula and fully fund every Section 8 voucher currently in use across
the country; and urges Congress to continue to fully fund in FY 2005 every
Section 8 voucher currently allocated.
©2004 U.S. Conference of Mayors 