Bush Budget Calls for Radical Cuts to Voucher Program

WASHINGTON, DC-The National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have made it clear–the nation’s population of families in need of housing assistance is destined for a blow if President George W. Bush’s FY 2005 budget plan goes forward as is. The proposal calls for cuts–or program reforms, as the administration describes it–that would lead to a decrease in financial resources for the Housing Voucher program.

As outlined in the budget, funds dedicated to the program more commonly known as Section 8 would be $1.6 billion less than what is required to finance all existing housing vouchers, which could lead to the loss of approximately 250,000 vouchers next year. And the ramifications would reach way beyond FY 2005. Proposed cuts would be as much as 40% over the next five years, leaving a dearth of 800,000 vouchers by 2009. However, the Bush Administration defends the reductions, noting that alterations to the program would allow the government to serve the same number of families in need.