U.S. Seeking Cuts in Rent Subsidies for Poor Families

[Robbien]

By DAVID W. CHEN

he Bush administration has proposed reducing the value of subsidized-housing vouchers given to poor residents in New York City next year, with even bigger cuts planned for some urban areas in New England. The proposal is based on a disputed new formula that averages higher rents in big cities with those of suburban areas, which tend to have lower costs.

The proposals could have a "significantly detrimental impact" in some areas by forcing poor families to pay hundreds of extra dollars per month in rent, according to United States Representative Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican. That extra burden could be too much for thousands of tenants, "potentially leaving them homeless," Mr. Shays wrote in a recent letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The changes would affect most of the 1.9 million families who participate in the Section 8 program, the government's primary housing program for the poor, including 110,000 in New York City. People in the program receive vouchers to help them rent private apartments from landlords who agree to participate.

For a four-bedroom apartment in New York City, HUD has proposed that the fair market rent be reduced from $1,504 a month to $1,286, a drop of more than 14 percent. For practical purposes, that means that a tenant must find an extra $218 to stay in that apartment, or else find something cheaper. A voucher for a three-bedroom apartment would be cut by 7 percent, with smaller cuts for smaller units.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/22/nyregion/22housing.html?hp=&pagewanted=print&position=

[Eye and Monkey]

1. why does it say "US Seeking" when it should say "BushCo"???

[w4rma]

2. Because big media (including the owners of the NYT) want Bush to win.

And they want Bush to have a mandate to give them their political kickbacks.

[Erika]

3. Bush Detests The Poor. Christ Must Have Been Wrong!

Bush just knows that it's better to cut housing vouchers for the poor than decrease tax cuts for the filthy rich. I mean, that's how he was raised. I'll puke the next time Bush talks about being a Christian.

[aquart]

7. No. Loves them sooo much he wants there to be many many more.

[izzie]

9. One of his college Prof. said he, Bush, said if your poor your lazy.

This should really help to get these people out in the open.They may need fresh air. Rents seem to be around $800 a month here in Southern Maine for places that are not so nice. With heat and lights, I am not sure how people pay that. I used to be in Portland a lot and their used to be a lot of people living on the street so guess this will add to that. Little more tax for the locals will be needed or people will have to put up with this. If you wish to live in a Society like ours some one has to pay for it. When Bush drives through they can always move the people to another site I guess.

[dumpster_baby]

4. 1.9 Million families out of 100 million families?

Oh, yeah, everyone is on welfare....

Fucking rightwingers and their propaganda...to hear Rush Limbaugh talk about it, half of society is on welfare. Hell if you assume that 2 million families need 20K a year to survive, that is only 40 billion a year. Hell we could raise that just by increasing the tax on millionaires by 1/2 percent. Heck, raise income tax rates by 10% on everyone and pay for an additional 20 million families and healthcare for all americans...

[Eye and Monkey]

6. that's 40 days of Iraq spending

[Erika]

5. I'd love The Right Wing to Explain their Christianity,,,,

when they constantly put down the poor and redistribute the wealth to the rich. Low wages, no benefits, raided pension plans, etc.

[aquart]

8. Calvinism. Predestination.

If God loves you, you're born rich. If God hates you because you're vile and damned, you're born poor.

World's most convenient religion.

[izzie]

10. JC was of the wrong class, so how come he is the poor men they use?

I never could figure that out.

[aquart]

11. House of David. Descended from a king.

Not just ANY poor man.

[Flammable Materials]

15. Because he's a proven trademark, that's why.

The only symbol recognized by more people than the cross is the golden arches.

[ikojo]

12. Bush is trolling for more people to join the military.....

If poor families are out in the streets then their teenage children will be more likely to join the military...Bush probably figures a tent in Baghdad is more attractive to poor people than the streets of any American city.

Doesn't stuff like this need to be sent to Congress? I wonder how many Democrats will vote to support it?

[UdoKier]

13. Why, of course!

Those "nigras" living in subsidized housing in the cities will vote democrat anyway. It's a win-win proposition for them. Not only that, it looks by the way this is written that the "white trash" who get subsidized housing in rural areas & the burbs will NOT lose subsidies. NICE! and they're more likely to vote repuke!

Of course we don't see them cutting farm subsidies, though do we. (You know, the ones that are no longer keeping food costs reasonable at ALL?)

[DeepModem Mom]

14. This is lead story NYT today; says latest hit to Northeast and NY --

"The fair market rent issue is the latest of several proposed cuts in federal programs that would disproportionately affect New York and the Northeast, including an overall cut to the Section 8 budget - later restored for New York City - and a new financing system for public housing developments."

[clydefrand]

16. We don't have enough money for our own citizens

because we must spend it all in countries that are being destroyed by our leader's??? stupid war program...how I hope this will open up a can of worms for him. But it probably won't bother his rich friends because they don't care whether the poor get anything or not.

[CBHagman]

17. And there are huge waiting lists for vouchers

I live in an area with extremely high housing costs. The Bush idea of an ownership society is an utter joke to a good many people here, given that even a tiny condo can cost six figures. Good luck trying to find affordable housing if you have children, too, and don't make a generous salary.

What planet do Bush & Co. live on? We can't all repair to the ranch when the questions get difficult.

Compassion my ass. Why isn't the administration being roundly jeered by the press for its phony compassion rhetoric?