Author: Chris Holden
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Carson’s Rent Increases Will Devastate Millions of Low-Income Renters
Under new a Trump Administration proposal, HUD tenants would have work requirements and rent increases, including tripled rent for households that need assistance the most. As the latest insult to decency from the Trump Administration, millions of low-income families will be at greater risk of homelessness. On Wednesday, HUD Secretary Ben Carson released the Trump…
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Trump Issues Executive Order Calling for Safety Net Program Work Requirements
Key Points: President Trump directs federal agencies to strengthen existing work requirements in programs that benefit low-income persons and look for other safety net programs where work requirements can be imposed. The Executive Order continues earlier efforts to impose work requirements in Medicaid, Food Stamps and affordable housing programs. Congress rejected many of these proposals…
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FY18 Spending Bill Increases Affordable Housing Funding, Rejects Trump Proposals
Affordable housing programs saw funding increases in the FY 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on Friday. The $1.3 trillion measure funds federal programs through September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. HUD programs received $4.7 billion more than in FY 2017, and $12 billion…
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HUD Proposes Changing Mission Statement
HUD officials are in the process of revising the agency’s mission statement. Affordable housing supporters were upset to hear that a commitment to fair housing and ending housing discrimination were not included in the draft statement. Fair housing advocates raised objections, and a few days later HUD Secretary Ben Carson felt compelled to affirm the…
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Trump FY 19 Budget Proposes Increase to Tenant Contributions and Work Requirements
The proposed Trump Administration Fiscal Year 2019 budget would not only make it difficult for housing providers to serve their current tenants, but new policies would also require residents to pay more and work for their housing. The Administration is preparing a legislative proposal that will increase tenant rent contributions in federally assisted housing…
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Would Raising the Minimum Wage Help Low-Income Renters Move Out of Poverty?
Many of our readers have commented on the Trump Administration’s affordable housing cuts proposed for FY 2019. A common comment is that Section 8 and other programs are cut to save billions, but the minimum wage is not being raised. It’s been the same for years but rents keep going up. What is the minimum…
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Trump FY 19 Budget Makes Drastic Cuts in Housing and Safety Net Programs
Editor’s Note: Tell your Congressperson to fully fund America’s affordable housing needs by taking a minute to complete the form here. The Trump Administration’s FY 19 budget proposes drastic cuts to HUD and USDA housing programs. It would eliminate almost all direct grant and loan programs that build and repair affordable housing, under-fund rental assistance and…
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Congress Passes Two-Year Budget Agreement, Potential for More Affordable Housing Funds
Update: The Senate passed the budget resolution after 1:00 a.m. Friday morning, 71-28. The vote was delayed because of objections by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to the amount it would add to the deficit. The House passed the measure early Friday morning on a vote of 240-186. There were 73 Democrats who voted for the budget…
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Increase in LIHTC Program Not Included in Budget Agreement
Today, the U.S. Senate reached agreement on a two-year budget deal that could have brought more funding to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. However, Affordable Housing Online has confirmed with the office of Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) that the agreement was passed without additional funding to the LIHTC program. Senators Cantwell and…
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Trump’s First SOTU Address Ignores Affordable Housing Crisis
For his first State of the Union address, President Trump gave the third longest speech in the past 50 years. With all that to say, he did not once touch on the affordable housing crisis in America. He did, however, say things that foreshadow the future of affordable housing and the prospects for low-income renters.…