Cuts That Sting Vulnerable Populations Part II: Government Shutdown: Impact on Households that Depend on Rental Assistance

While the federal government shutdown has ended, the steep impact that it had on HUD, non-profit housing agencies, and in turn, low-income families should not be forgotten. During the shutdown, only 4% of HUD employees continued to work. All other employees were unable to make calls, check emails, or do any other kind of work – as outlined in the “HUD contingency plan.” We were impacted by this as our HUD representative was unable to work and we lacked a valuable source of expertise, albeit briefly.

Low-income households, however, were impacted the most during the shutdown, particularly those that depend on rental assistance. During the shutdown:

• Protection vouchers for public housing or multifamily actions were not processed,
• HUD did not process any Section 8 contract renewal or waiver requests, and,
• Agencies that receive federal funding for public housing may have been impacted.

While most HUD programs targeting poor households were temporarily interrupted, programs that are geared toward home ownership remained, not surprisingly, unaffected.

Independent Living: The Road Less Traveled

Earlier this year, the sequestration was implemented and could leave 140,000 low-income families without rental assistance despite the long waiting lists for vouchers in nearly every community. It’s clear that there are simply no guarantees of available, free, or low-income housing assistance. This is Why We Do What We Do. Most agencies provide supportive housing subsidies and rental assistance as the next step after transitional housing.  Given the number of chronically homeless and disabled parents, we understand the need to provide this as an necessary option.  However, for working poor families who are homeless, we strive to provide the necessary services needed to increase our client’s ability to earn a livable wage and transition into independent living, free from rental subsidies. As a result, 73% of the families we served obtained viable employment and transitioned to stable housing.

They can, at the very least, survive the cuts.

By advocating for true self-sufficiency, Interfaith’s families are on a road less traveled. Let’s empower them to keep on trucking! 

Read more by clicking here and here.  

Stephanie McNeil, Outcomes and Research Manager, has over five years experience of working with children with special needs. Prior to Interfaith, Stephanie has provided outreach support and needs assessments for diverse populations. She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Houston and a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of North Texas. Stephanie can be reached at smcneil@ihcdallas.org or (469) 828-1823. 

Cuts that Sting Vulnerable Populations

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture annual report, 15% of U.S. households are food insecure meaning at any point during the year lacked access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all members of the household. Nearly 60% of all food insecure households participated in one or more of the three Federal food and nutrition assistance programs. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest of the three food assistance programs and aims to help families during economic hardship.

Despite these staggering statistics, less than a month ago the House of Representatives voted to cut $40 billion from SNAP, colloquially known as “food stamps,” program over a 10-year period. As you can imagine, news of this potential cut alarmed advocates, politicians, social-service providers, and food stamp recipients alike. Consequently, many agencies that assist low-income families are starting to prepare for the potential cut in benefits – including determining how they will provide information and services to participating households as well as make up the difference if the cut takes effect.

From Insecure to Secure: True Self-Sufficiency Defined

This cut could affect 23 million low-income households. This is Why We Do What We Do. As many agencies are preparing for a possible cut in food benefits, Interfaith is continuously advocating for our families to achieve true self-sufficiency which we define as the ability to provide for oneself without the help of others; independence from government assistance/mainstream benefits. We understand that long-term government assistance is not guaranteed, as evidenced by the recent government shutdown. Our hand-up model provides our families with the skills needed to transform from insecure to secure – and we have the outcomes to prove it!  At twelve months post-Interfaith, nearly 50% of our graduates are able to meet their financial needs with their own resources and without the help of any mainstream benefits. 

Read more, by clicking here. 

Stephanie McNeil, Outcomes and Research Manager, has over five years experience of working with children with special needs. Prior to Interfaith, Stephanie has provided outreach support and needs assessments for diverse populations. She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Houston and a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of North Texas. Stephanie can be reached at smcneil@ihcdallas.org or (469) 828-1823. 

The Harsh Realities for Homeless Families

In an article entitled “Annual Count of Dallas’ Homeless Sheds Light on Children’s Plight,” Christina Rosales highlights the importance for programs that serve homeless families. Each year, hundreds of volunteers canvass shelters, transitional housing, hotels, motels, and places not meant for human habitation to survey homeless individuals and families to determine their needs. Data collected in 2012 indicated that 54% of the homeless population is families with children, which has increased by 35% since 2010.  The Ramirez family, consisting of a 32-year old mother, Earllene, and her two school-aged children Amaanyi and Leinad, was  one of many families that were interviewed at a local shelter. While at this shelter, Earllene  and her children had to sleep on two twin mattresses that were on the floor and her children had to complete their homework on the floor in a noisy, chaotic, over-crowded shelter.  This is a great reminder that while there are hundreds of homeless families in Dallas, few have access to the apartment, furnishings, and afterschool programs that Interfaith provides.  Just last week, an ex-resident who exited due to noncompliance, wrote a compelling letter to her former Interfaith case manager requesting a second chance after having to check herself and her child into a similar shelter.

The Power of the Interfaith Alternative

According to Mike Faenza, “Services and housing for homeless children have really been neglected.... not well understood, and it’s not as visible.” This may be the case for other agencies in Dallas, but it’s certainly not the case for Interfaith. We understand the necessity of having a strong, holistic, family-centered approach to combatting generational poverty and homelessness. This is evident in our vision of ensuring that “every night, every child… a home & hope for the future”. This is done by providing tutors and other forms of academic, emotional and behavior assistance to support and encourage the children in our program. In fact, one former child resident has stated: "[Interfaith] was an inspiring place and [I’m] thankful for a place to live." Yet, another example of Why We Do What We Do and why it is a privilege for the families who are selected to participate. 

Read more by clicking here. 

Stephanie McNeil, Outcomes and Research Manager, has over five years experience of working with children with special needs. Prior to Interfaith, Stephanie has provided outreach support and needs assessments for diverse populations. She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Houston and a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of North Texas. Stephanie can be reached at smcneil@ihcdallas.org or (469) 828-1823.