Davis irate over Section 8 cuts; 90% cut in HUD budget 'will devastate poor'

The federal government's Section 8 program is "dying a slow death" for lack of funding, thanks to the Bush administration, warned Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-7th) Thursday. The total HUD budget is $37 billion of which $18.4 billion is for the Section 8 program. He juxtaposed this to the Defense Department budget for 2004 which is $369 billion excluding funds for Iraq or Afghanistan.

The administration refused to include that in their budget, charged Davis. In April, Congress approved $62.8 billion extra for Iraq and said they would ask for more. Operations in Iraq are costing $3.9 billion a month and in Afghanistan, it's costing $950 million a month, according to Ira Cohen, a spokesperson for Davis.

The military construction budget is not included in these figures.

And, last year, the defense budget was about $385 billion. Davis is outraged that the administration's budget priorities excluded additional funds for affordable housing for the poor.

He told the Chicago Defender the government refused to put any new monies into the existing Section 8 program. "The big hit that's being taken is in the HOPE IV|the transformation money targeted for troubled housing| because the president wanted to wipe the program out" charged Davis.

"We only put $50 million in this program when it once had an allocation of $600 million...." He said these funds are needed to complete CHA's and other public housing's transformation plan.

But, by the Republicans refusing to increase HUD funds and the separate Section 8 program, Davis said the government is "dashing all of those hopes" residents and housing officials had of completing that dream.

"Those goals have not only been put on hold, but they are being put in jeopardy," Davis said, explaining that the housing funding reduction will be devastating. "The effect is that 85,000 could ultimately lose their Section 8 allocation," warned Davis. "I don't know anybody whose rent didn't go up or who doesn't have to pay taxes. The net result of the housing funding reduction is that we're going to lose Section 8.

"Section 8 is dying a slow death" for lack of funding, Davis said. "If you keep taking away water from the desert, eventually you'll have a drought.... The HOPE IV program |which is needed to revitalize severely distressed public housing| has been reduced by 90 percent....

After heated debate from Democrats including Davis, $150 million was added to the Republican version of the Section 8 program.

Cohen, said that after much heated debate by the Democrats, the Republicans included an additional $150 million for the Section 8 program that would be enough to create 23,000 new vouchers while there are "millions of people on the waiting list."

The House originally moved to approve $583 million less than what was needed just to keep the vouchers currently in use, he said.

In 2001 the number of vouchers increased by 79,000, and in 2002, it increased by 18,000, and 2003, it increased by zero. "The Section 8 program is dying...." Cohen told the Chicago Defender.

Davis added: "These are lean, mean tough times, and people need to make the most use of every dollar that they get."

When asked what can be done about the cut in funding, Davis said he's having a "State of the District" townhall meeting 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15th and 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16th, at the Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd.

"We have a whole year" to fight back, Davis said. In the interim, "we can change presidents, change the make-up of the legislature. There are no easy things, but, the president is losing popularity. His approval rating is going down the more people think the truth got missed somehow in the decision to invade Iraq.

"All of these things are helping to pull down the president's job rating, which means we can be looking at a new president. Carol Moseley-Braun wouldn't have allowed that to happen...," said Davis. "If you had the money, you can do both

If you give tax breaks to the rich where one person can save $12 million a year in taxes, you won't have any money for the Hope program. You can't get blood out of a turnip."

Article copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.

Photograph (Danny K. Davis)