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.