Catholic Charities USA Hails House Subcommittee for Protecting Vital Low-Income Housing Pr

For immediate release:
July 23, 2004 For information, contact:
Shelley Borysiewicz
Manager of Media Relations
Catholic Charities USA
(703) 549-1390 x147
sborysiewicz [at] catholiccharitiesusa.org

Catholic Charities USA Hails House Subcommittee for Protecting Vital Low-Income Housing Program from Radical Changes, Budget Cuts
Will Press Congress to Reverse HUD Directive that Short Changes Section


Alexandria, VA—Catholic Charities USA today praised Rep. Jim Walsh (R-NY) and his House Appropriations subcommittee for rejecting the Administration’s budget proposal that would have restructured and severely cut funding to the federal Housing Choice Program (Section 8)—a very successful housing program that serves more than two million low-income families, seniors, and disabled people each year.

Yesterday, the full House Appropriations Committee approved a 2005 spending bill put forth by its Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies, which is chaired by Rep. Walsh, that restores funding for the Section 8 program and rejects the Administration’s proposal to restructure Section 8 as a block grant. The vote is a major victory for Catholic Charities USA, local Catholic Charities agencies, and other affordable housing advocates who have lobbied Congress hard since the Administration first proposed the changes.

Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed major changes to Section 8, including a $1 billion cut in funding for 2005 and rule changes that would have undermined the program. The HUD proposal also would have restructured the program as a block grant, which would have meant that assistance would no longer keep pace with rising housing costs. As many as 250,000 families would have lost their voucher assistance in the first year alone if the committee accepted the proposal.

“We are thankful that the subcommittee listened to low-income tenants, housing agencies, and faith-based and community organizations, including Catholic Charities agencies across the country, who made the case against shortchanging the Section 8 program,” said Douglas Rice, director of housing and community development for Catholic Charities USA. “Every day Catholic Charities agencies witness the important role that Section 8 housing vouchers play in preventing and ending homelessness, in helping seniors and persons with disabilities to live with dignity in decent housing, and in supporting families that are striving to make progress towards self-sufficiency.”

Protecting Section 8, a program that has enabled low-income households to afford modest apartments on the private market, has been a top priority for Catholic Charities USA and local Catholic Charities agencies nationwide. Throughout the year, local Catholic Charities agencies worked hard to show Congress and the public just how damaging the HUD proposal would have been to their communities and neighbors. Across the country, local Catholic Charities met with members of Congress, conducted letter writing campaigns to public officials, convened coalitions, held press conferences, and placed opinion pieces in local newspapers.

Despite the victory, Section 8 and other affordable housing programs are still in jeopardy. “Unfortunately, competing budget priorities and the huge tax cuts of the last few years left too few resources to adequately fund other vital HUD programs which the subcommittee decided to cut by more than 4 percent,” said Rice.

As the appropriations bill moves to the full House for a vote later this summer or in the fall, Catholic Charities USA is turning its attention to other aspects of the VA-HUD spending bill, including restoring funding to other affordable housing programs that were cut in the bill. In addition, Catholic Charities USA will be urging both the House and Senate to reverse an April HUD directive that sets Section 8 funding for public housing authorities (PHAs) at August 2003 levels.

“Because the new formula ignores many factors that contribute to rising voucher costs, such as falling tenant incomes, it has generated immediate funding shortfalls for PHAs across the country. In response to these shortfalls, many PHAs are refusing to reissue vouchers, increasing minimum rent payments, and reducing payment standards, which is likely to increase the cost of housing for many Section 8 tenants. Others are shifting vouchers away from higher-cost tenants, such as large families with children or homeless persons with extremely low incomes,” said Rice. “These consequences are unacceptable when affordable housing needs are so severe across the country, and only one in four eligible families receive Section 8 assistance. We urge Congress to continue its commitment to the Section 8 program by directing HUD to release funding sufficient to renew every voucher in use in 2004.”


Catholic Charities USA’s members-more than 1,400 local agencies and institutions nationwide-provide help and create hope for more than seven million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds. For more than 275 years, local Catholic Charities agencies have been providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from day care and counseling to food and housing. For more information, visit http://www.catholiccharitiesinfo.org.