With the number of public housing units declining in Baltimore City, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City and county housing agencies could face additional funding challenges to Section 8 voucher programs.
According to the Washington-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, from 2004 to 2006, changes to the Section 8 voucher-funding formula had extreme effects on the system. The number of families with vouchers declined during that time, with about 150,000 vouchers lost nationwide.
Congress will soon address a key issue in the Section 8 portion of the transportation-housing bill: how much money should be provided to renew existing Section 8 vouchers.
While the Senate?s 2008 Housing and Urban Development bill would fully fund all vouchers in use in 2007, the House HUD bill would fail to renew 55,000 vouchers that families are expected to use in 2007, said Douglas Rice, an author of the CBPP report.
President Bush also might veto it, Rice said. Bush has insisted that Congress not exceed the level of funding he proposed in his budget. The House bill provides $300 million above Bush?s voucher request, and the Senate bill provides $500 million above the request.
“We?re hopeful that we?ll see some real additional Section 8 lease gains within the year,” Rice said. “The program is on an upswing, although it?s going to be a while before we?re at the levels of 2003 and 2004.”
As reported in The Examiner?s “Housing Matters” series last month, officials said housing vouchers are the future of public housing, as public housing units require maintenance and eventual repair. (See examiner.com to read the series.)
While HABC has come under recent scrutiny for the city?s decrease in public housing units, HABC has pointed to a marked increase in Section 8 vouchers.
HABC has said its total number of Section 8 recipients has gone from fewer than 6,000 to almost 12,000 in 15 years, and the authority plans to lease 2,500 new Section 8 units over the next year.
“It?s always disturbing to see unmet needs, but for the first time in several years, we have a little money to address those needs,” Housing Commissioner Paul Graziano said.
