NCIL - The National Council on Independent Living

Housing has been a top priority for NCIL members for several years. But never has it been more important than now. In view of the Bush administration’s announcement of dangerous proposals that would drastically alter the character of public housing and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, NOW is the time to act!!! NCIL calls on IL advocates to contact your federal representatives to oppose these drastic and harmful shifts in public policy that would undermine and possibly even reverse recent gains in ensuring the availability of accessible, affordable housing and livable communities for persons with disabilities. Last week at the request of the Bush Administration, Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO), chairman of the Housing Subcommittee of the Senate Banking and Housing Committee, introduced S. 771, the “State and Local Housing Flexibility Act of 2005.” It consists of three parts:

A Flexible Voucher Program that is nearly identical to last year’s proposal, though more detailed;
Elimination of affordability requirements for public housing tenants (called “Public Housing Rent Flexibility and Simplification”); and
A proposed “Moving to Work Program,” which would give HUD unprecedented authority to grant sweeping waivers of virtually all housing laws. It also would allow public housing agencies to move funding from one program to another. For example, to cut their voucher programs to make up for shortfalls in public housing funding.

Though its short title description claims that the legislation is designed “to better assist low-income families to obtain decent, safe and affordable housing,” the bill would make truly radical changes in federal housing policy. By severing the link between funding decisions and the number of families served and enabling costs to be shifted to tenants, the proposed program changes would make future funding cuts more likely in both the voucher and public housing programs. In fact, NCIL believes that it may well run counter to the President’s commitment to Olmstead implementation under the New Freedom Initiative by making it far harder for persons with disabilities to obtain and retain affordable, accessible rental housing in community settings.

Attached to this alert is a more detailed analysis of the legislation by Barbara Sard, Center for Budget Policies and Priorities. Also attached is the opening statement of Senator Kit Bond (R-MO), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, HUD and Related Agencies. At a hearing on April 14, 2005, at which HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson testified, Senator Bond pointed out the following cuts in the Administration’s Budget Request for HUD for Fiscal Year 2006:

$4,56 billion from Community Development Block Grants (CDBG);
$118 million from Housing for persons with disabilities;
$14 million from Housing for Persons with AIDS;
$24 million from Rural Housing and Economic Development;
$24 million from Brownsfields;
almost $286 million from HOPE VI;
$226 million from Section 8 Project-Based Assistance; and
$252 million from the Public Housing Capital Fund.

Chairman Bond stated: “I also am especially troubled by a proposed $2.5 billion rescission for which neither HUD nor OMB (Office of Management and Budget) has been able or willing to identify the source of funding. These program cuts are even more disturbing because of proposed reductions and shortfalls in other programs within the jurisdiction of this Subcommittee… Unfortunately, I believe that the President has been getting some very bad advice about the housing and community development needs of the Nation.”

Please read his entire statement. He specifically speaks of his disappointment at the dismantlement of the CDBG program, along with other programs.

Action Steps

So what can YOU and your CIL do to prevent these harmful, drastic alterations from becoming the law of the land? We suggest the following:

Call your Senators and Representatives to urge them to oppose S 771 and its companion bill in the House. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition has established a toll free hotline for this purpose. The Hotline number is (888)818-6641
Urge your Representative to sign on to the Dear Colleague letter in urging support of and full funding for the Section 8 program circulated by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D, NY), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), and Pat Tiberi (R-OH), who are circulating the letter. It is vital to get as many Republicans as possible, to show the bipartisan nature of congressional support for Section 8. If you have a Republican Representative and he/she serves on the Financial Services Committee or has been supportive of Section 8 in the past, be especially sure to contact him or her ASAP!
Urge your Representative to co-sponsor House Continuing Resolution 108, introduced by Carolyn Kirkpatrick (D-MI). H.Con.Res108 expresses the sense of Congress in opposition to the proposal to shift the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) from HUD to the Department of Commerce. The resolution states that CDBG is a vital tool for improving communities across the United States and has been administered successfully by HUD since its inception. There are now 59 co-sponsors.
Write letters to the editor in your local and regional newspapers calling attention to the harmful provisions of the new housing proposals and how they run contrary to the President Bush’s campaign to end homelessness and New Freedom Initiative.
Keep us informed about your actions. E-mail NCIL Policy Analyst Daniel Davis at Daniel@ncil.org to let us know what actions you are taking, as well as the response of your Senators, Representatives and local news media to your efforts.

Action Alert

April 19, 2005

Action Required to Protect Public Housing and Community Development Block Grants

Action Steps