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One thing is always
true: the effect of budget decisions that adversely impact programs
assisting lower-income households are not felt by the elected officials
that make those decisions. It is estimated by the Center on Budget and
Policy Priorities that cuts in Section 8 funding in 2005 will result in
80,000 fewer households nation-wide receiving rental assistance. Here is
how these cuts have affected two families in Buffalo.
Some four years after
she first applied, Sandra was finally selected off the waiting list and
received a Section 8 voucher in late October 2004. The voucher had come to
her at a perfect time since winter was coming and her current landlord was
showing no signs of fixing the many leaks in the roof or addressing other
serious problems with the apartment’s electricity.
Two weeks after
receiving her voucher, Sandra contacted HOME’s Community Housing Center to
get help finding a better place to live for herself and her four children.
By mid-November, Sandra was working closely with CHC staff and making
progress in finding a three bedroom apartment.
Sandra was devastated
when she found out in December that because of federal cuts to Section 8,
she had been retuned to the waiting list and no longer had a voucher.
Without this assistance, she couldn’t afford to move. She remained in her
apartment where the roof still leaks and there is no electricity in the
kitchen and living room. Since she is now behind on her rent, she is
afraid to complain to her landlord or to contact the city building
inspectors.
Mercedes received her
Section 8 voucher at about the same time as Sandra. Since her only income
had been public assistance, the Section 8 voucher made a much nicer
apartment affordable to her and her daughter. They quickly found a cute
two bedroom apartment and moved in on the 1st of December.
After she and her
daughter completed the move to the new place, they found out that they
would not be receiving Section 8 as planned. The loss of her Section 8
voucher means that Mercedes can’t afford the new apartment since the rent
is a little higher than allowed by Social Services for tenants without a
Section 8 subsidy.
While her new landlord
has been very understanding, she fears that he will inevitably require her
to move.
Both Sandra and
Mercedes feel victimized by the loss of a rental subsidy that was supposed
to provide them a chance to live in decent, safe and affordable housing.
Instead, they and their families continue to struggle.
So to truly understand
the national impact of the cuts to the Section 8, simply multiply the
effect it has had on these two Buffalo families by 40,000. |
