| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today joined Democratic
leaders and advocates to oppose President Bush’s proposed cuts in the housing
budget. This year’s proposed Housing and Urban Development (HUD) budget
is cut by $2.28 billion.
“President
Bush was in Chicago yesterday and talked about values and budget priorities.
Looking at his proposed housing budget, it clearly does not reflect the
values or priorities of the 34,000 families in Chicago waiting to get an
affordable and safe place to live,” said Schakowsky, a member of the House
Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.
Schakowsky
said the fight to give low-income families and seniors access to affordable
housing has just gotten tougher with a Republican president and Congress.
She added, “We’ve spent $11 million last year to give the President a home,
which equals the cost of providing 1800 families with rental assistance.
As a resident of public housing, President Bush should be more empathetic
to the millions without adequate housing.”
In
his plan, Bush only adds an additional 34,000 Section 8 vouchers nationwide.
Section 8 vouchers helps low-income families afford their rent. In
Chicago alone, the waiting list for Section 8 vouchers is 33,667 applicants,
while in New York, more than 215,000 families are on the waiting list for
vouchers.
The
Bush proposal also cuts $309 million for the Drug Elimination program,
thus completely ending that initiative. The program provides public
authorities with funds to hire law enforcement officers, provide drug treatment
programs, and establish tenant patrols.
Chicago
Housing Authority CEO Terry Peterson, a supporter of the program, said,
“There is no place at the CHA for drug dealers or drug users. Our
resident-supported Lease Agreement clearly states that CHA residents must
be drug-free and not engaged in criminal activities. In addition,
our service-connector programs will assist residents with drug-treatment
programs.”
Other
cuts proposed in President Bush’s HUD budget, include:
-
$700
million cut in Capital Fund, which is used to repair & maintain buildings.
-
$640
million cut in Section 8 reserves.
-
$422
million cut in Community Development Block Grant program.
-
$200
million cut in HOME.
-
$35
million cut in Empowerment Zones funding.
-
Elimination
of the $25 million Rural Housing and Economic Development program.
|
