Senator Feingold Leads Bipartisan Effort To Increase Funding For Section 8 Housing

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Feingold Leads 27-Senator Effort to Help Low-Income Americans Afford Better Housing

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is leading a bipartisan effort to increase funding for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. In a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, Feingold and twenty-six of his Senate colleagues ask that funding for the cost-effective program be increased as Americans face increasingly unaffordable rental burdens and a lack of safe and affordable housing.

“Affordable housing is becoming less and less available in this country for those who need it most and Wisconsin is no exception,” Feingold said. “We need to boost funding for the Section 8 program so our communities will be better equipped to meet the rising demand for housing assistance, particularly the demand for rental housing assistance.”

According to the 2006 U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homelessness Survey, housing requests from low income families increased in 86 percent of the surveyed cities. Cities around the country continue to report more demand for Section 8 vouchers than they are able to meet due to lack of federal funding and some cities, including Milwaukee and Madison, have lengthy or closed waiting lists of families requesting Section 8 vouchers because of inadequate funding for the program.

In addition to supporting the Section 8 program, Feingold introduced legislation to increase affordable housing for low-income Americans earlier this year. The legislation, the Affordable Housing Expansion and Public Safety Act, funds 100,000 new Section 8 vouchers, increases HOME affordable housing grants for states and cities, renews the Public and Assisted Housing Crime and Drug Elimination Program, and calls on Congress to create a national affordable housing trust fund.

“This issue is about more than making sure Wisconsinites have a roof over their head,” Feingold said. “Good housing and healthy communities lead to better jobs, better educational outcomes, and better futures for all Americans. Local communities, states, and the federal government must work together to ensure that all Americans have a safe and decent place to live.”

A copy of the letter is available at http://feingold.senate.gov/pdf/ltr_050107_Section8.pdf.

Source: Senator Russ Feingold