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CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING OF CENTRAL PA SAYS SECTION 8 CUTS WOULD HURT MID-STATE FAMILIES "We cannot provide the same level of service we currently offer to our clients if there is a reduction in vouchers," Stewart said.   (Harrisburg, PA) - The Center for Independent Living of Central PA (CILCP) said today that a proposed federal budget cut would eliminate $1.6 billion dollars from low income housing funding in 2005 and force nearly 1000 Central Pennsylvania families out of their homes. The fiscal year 2005 budget calls for cutting the housing voucher (or Section 8) program by more than $1.6 billion dollars, with shortfalls exceeding $4.6 billion by 2009. Section 8 provides low income, elderly and families of people with disabilities with vouchers that help cover the cost of obtaining modest rental housing in the private market. There are currently 1.9 million families receiving voucher assistance in the United States. Under the proposal, 250,000 U.S. families will lose their voucher assistance in 2005 and 600,000 by 2009. According to a report published by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) entitled, "Passing the Buck," in 2005, the budget would cut funding by more than 12 percent below the level needed to maintain current services. The proposal also would cut the administrative funding provided to public housing agencies (PHAs) to operate the voucher program. Under the proposal, PHAs would be forced to institute substantial reductions both in the assistance they provide to low-income families and their own administrative infrastructures. "Our organization's guiding principle is to empower people with disabilities to fully participate in all aspects of society by eliminating and preventing barriers that people with disabilities experience," said Lynn Stewart, Director of the Local Housing Options Team of the Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania. "The lack of housing options for persons with disabilities is a tremendous barrier. We cannot provide the same level of service we currently offer to our clients if there is a reduction in vouchers." "The Dauphin County Housing Authority has worked very closely with the LHOT and other programs to provide vouchers for very low income and disabled persons. This assistance will be dramatically reduced if the administrations policies are passed," Stewart added. According to Charles Gassert, Executive Director of the Dauphin County Housing Authority, the general feeling among authorities is that this could dramatically affect the amount of families that can be assisted. "Along with the families we are currently serving, we have nearly 3,000 households on our waiting list," Gassert said. Stewart says the CILCP, which advocates for persons with disabilities, is hoping to draw attention to the issue by meeting with legislators. "We plan to meet with our Members of Congress to discuss this important issue as well as possible initiatives to protect these dollars," Stewart explained. "Senator Specter has always been supportive of disability issues. In fact, he has been a big proponent of legislation to get persons with disabilities out of nursing homes and into independent living environments. Ironically, these people will likely need Section 8 housing assistance to achieve this goal." The Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania is a nonprofit, nonresidential organization established for and by people with disabilities and serves Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, Mifflin and Juniata counties. CILCP's vision is to empower people with disabilities to fully participate in all aspects of society. For more information on the CILCP and the Local Housing Options Team contact Karen Gross at 717-975-2148 or via email at kgross@hersheyphilbin.com. ### SOURCES: Center for Independent Living of Central PA http://www.cilcp.org/ Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) Public Housing Agency Data by State http://www.cbpp.org/3-17-04hous-states.htm Reports "Passing the Buck" http://www.cbpp.org/3-16-04hous.pdf "HUD's Reliance on Rent Trends for High-End Apartments to Criticize the Housing Voucher Program is Mistaken" http://www.centeronbudget.org/3-16-04hous2.htm "Many Low-Income Families Would Lose Federal Housing Assistance Under Proposed Funding Cuts" http://www.cbpp.org/3-17-04hous-pr.htm Other Reports & Background Information http://www.cbpp.org/housingvoucher.htm Back to the Newsroom