WP: Poor Face Reduced Rent Aid

[kskiska]

Officials Foresee Homeless Increase

Sunday, October 3, 2004; Page C01

It fell to housing official William Murphy to face the hearing room packed with Montgomery County's poor -- disabled men and women, low-wage parents with sleeping children in their arms -- and to break the bad news.

Because of new limits on federal funding, he explained, many of the county's struggling renters are likely to have to start paying $25, $100 even $200 more each month for their apartments.

His words drew a collective gasp from the crowd.

"If we didn't have to do this, believe me, we wouldn't do it," Murphy, rental assistance director for the county's Housing Opportunities Commission, told the audience. "We're only doing this because we need to."

Bukika Holmes -- a student, mother, and worker still wearing her Krispy Kreme cap and badge -- was stunned. "I just make it by the skin of my teeth," she said later.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2923-2004Oct2.html

[Trillo]

1. Living wage. nt

[MissB]

2. Bush is trying to gut the program

and convert it to a block grant program.

[Eye and Monkey]

10. With the bulk of the block going to real estate developers, NOT

the poor. Look at the housing mess in Texas - the goal is expansion of graft and greed.

[despairing optimist]

3. Our tax dollars at work, blowing up Iraqis and freezing out our neighbors

A giant step backward. One more step and it's into the abyss.

[barb162]

6. and don't forget huge tax cuts for the millionaires

[Rose Siding]

4. This woman lets slip a part of the plan-

snip>
Pondering the news, Julia Gaskins, mother of two, considered her own situation.

Her two sons' mental health problems have made it hard for her to keep a job, she said, so she has often turned to her church for help with her small share of her rent.
-------------------------

People are dependent on the church (which is swell in the occasional pinch, I agree), the govt funds the church, and that's a new American underclass.

[MsMagnificent]

9. Oh yeah, good old Faith Based Initiatives.

Too bad if you're not the right religion
or if you're not the right type of person for the religion...

[AngryOldDem]

14. Not all faith-based groups discriminate...

...I know; I'm involved with one that provides rent assistance to clients. The trouble is, they have such huge rent bills that we cannot begin to pay them all in full, because we also help with utilities, medical bills, etc., etc. So we work out agreements with the clients and their landlords, and offer partial payment.

Most of our clients work, which means they aren't eligible for subsidized housing because they make too much money. The only apartments available have such high rents that they just about eat their paychecks whole. The balancing acts they do with their bills is enough to drive me to tears. And if, by some reason, they do become eligible for subsidized housing, the county waiting list is so long that it will take them at least two years to get placed in a unit.

More good news in my city -- they are getting ready to tear down many subsidized housing units because of their age and the crime levels that have gotten out of hand in these neighborhoods. I asked someone where they thought the residents would go -- nobody has a clue.

The poor truly live in a vicious circle.

[MsMagnificent]

16. To be sure

I didn't mean to imply that, apologies that it was taken that way.

[Pachamama]

5. That's Bushenomics - And they don't have Healthcare either....

...nothing to see here folks....Lets just see that economic recovery Bush loves to refer to.....

:puke:

[Swamp Rat]

8. Yes, that's a good name for it.

"Bushenomics," ha ha! :hi:

[Sugarbleus]

7. Thanks for digging this up. I saw the changes coming since last

year. It took awhile, but the changes have finally spread across the nation. I'm feeling those changes right now.

We are being put through some very uncomfortable changes as I type. I'm on the west coast; things are usually a wee bit more liberal but Bush has his hands in everyone's pie now.

I don't know what is to become of us but I can tell you honestly that we are suffering from stress, which leads to bodily illnesses and the like. It's a real nightmare folks. Relatives of mine are going without any health coverage whatsoever, members of my immediate family are being turned away by doctors because of medicaid and the ones that will take it are quacks. I just recieved disability and along with it came Medicare--OH JOY. Now the housing issues ...

We are two physically disabled adults raising a teen aged grandson. I don't sleep at night, I worry all the time. I'm in pain, I'm full of rage. Life is not fun.

I feared it would be like this when Bush stole the election in 2000. I wasn't wrong. I've written to Senators and Congresspersons, I've donated my paltry sums to the Dem campaign on a regular basis. I use bumper sticker campaigning, I talk to others about registering to vote and voting Democratic this year. I have read and researched and called radio shows and spread the word as well as I possibly could--all I ask is that the rest of you REMEMBER us on the bottom rung of life.......

When Kerry is President :), please help keep him on point in these matters:Housing, jobs, wages, healthcare. Please keep your representatives feet to the fire about these issues...for the rest of us. Don't let the American Genocide go undetected, unnoticed, unabated......PLEASE.

A fellow American~~~~Peace

[DeepModem Mom]

11. kick

[thecrow]

12. kick n/t

[Karmadillo]

13. The Free Market will provide them with all the cardboard boxes they need.

n/t

[The Zanti Regent]

15. My Aunt says the CHURCHES will take care of the poor!

C'mon churches, you got all that faith based money, now COUGH IT UP!

[Lady President]

17. Bigger problem than most know

I use to work in the low-income housing field until the company I worked for drastically downsized. The potential increase in homelessness is unbelievable to most people.

There are several major problems. The first was in this article that federal funding to charities that aren't faith-based has been slashed.

Second, people simply can't afford to give to charities. After being laid-off I started temping and met several people who by any standards appeared to be average middle-class suburbanites. They admitted they had been to food pantries between temp jobs to feed their families. These are the type of people communities expect to help, rather than need help.

Third, the President's dividend tax changes have destroyed low-income housing. I use to work in this particular area. Basically, companies received tax credits for participating in low-income housing projects. (These were safe and very nice apartment complexes with social services on premises.) After the change in the dividend tax plan, companies no longer needed as many tax breaks and limited their participation.

Forth, Fannie Mae is the largest purchaser of low-income housing tax credits which are then sold to the large companies. Their current problems will mean they will stay away from this market which is more risky than standard housing loans.

I can't express how scared I am for people in need of housing assistance. There's not enough now and it will only get worse....

[Erika]

18. Bush says there are no poor! He's fixed that.

He just says be happy and don't worry.