[StBernard] Financial Services Committee Approves Section Eight Housing Voucher Reform

[Westley Annis]

July 23, 2009                                                        

 

 

Financial Services Committee Approves Section Eight Housing Voucher Reform

 

Washington, DC - The Financial Services Committee today approved H.R. 3045,
the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act of 2009. The landmark bill would reform
the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides rental housing
assistance to 2 million low-income families nationwide. The legislation,
sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), was approved by a vote of 41- 24. 

 

"As a result of the economic crisis and the resulting increases in
foreclosures and levels of homelessness, the Section 8 program is more
important now than ever before," said Rep. Waters.  "By improving and
expanding the program, this bill would ensure that Section 8 can respond to
this crisis."

 

H.R. 3045 would establish a stable, fair and cost-effective funding system
for the Section 8 program and would ensure that no tenant is ever at risk of
losing housing assistance due to unexpected budget shortfalls.  It would
also restore previous assistance levels by authorizing 150,000 new vouchers.

 

Under the bill, several critical provisions streamline the process of
providing Section 8 housing assistance. The calculations governing tenant
rent payments are simplified, reducing the burden on housing agencies,
tenants and private owners of subsidized housing.  The bill likewise
streamlines the housing inspection process, along with administrative
burdens that make it difficult to transfer vouchers between jurisdictions.
Additionally, the bill provides the flexibility needed for public housing
authorities to preserve affordable housing by allowing agencies to make
greater use of "project-based" vouchers.  

 

The bill also reforms Moving to Work, renaming it the Housing Innovation
Program, which currently permits the Department of Housing and Urban
Development to waive certain regulations for 30 public housing agencies,
allowing them to experiment with different rent structures and programs.  To
ensure the efficacy of the program in addressing the needs of the most
vulnerable households, the bill provides for rigorous evaluation
requirements, stronger tenant protections, and clearer program goals to
ensure effective use of federal funds. 

 

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