[HousingMinnesota Bulletin] FW: Join in Housing Voucher Call-in Days: March 1 and 2

[Rachel Callanan]

Please support our efforts to ensure federal resources for affordable
housing by calling in on March 1st and 2nd!  The National Low Income
Housing Coalition has issued the action alert below.  Set aside a few
minutes next week to make your calls!  Thanks for your support!
 
(I apologize for the formatting problem in the previous email that went
out on this earlier today.)
 
Rachel Callanan
Policy Director
Minnesota Housing Partnership/HousingMinnesota
651.649.1710 x107
rcallanan at mhponline.org
www.housingminnesota.org
 
 
National Housing Voucher CALL-IN DAYS: MARCH 1 & 2
Tell Congress the President's voucher proposal is WRONG
 
The President's FY05 budget was released in early February. The changes
he proposes to the housing voucher (Section 8) program are the most
radical and threatening to residents in the history of the program:
 
* For FY05, President Bush allocates $1.6 billion too little to fund all
housing vouchers currently in use. 
 
* President Bush's proposal would cut funding even more drastically in
years to come. By 2009, funding cuts would reach 40%-a loss of 800,000
vouchers.
 
* The President would also remove important resident protections. Public
housing authorities would no longer be required to serve people with the
lowest incomes, and they would not be required to keep rent at 30% of a
resident's income. Further, current voucher holders would not be
protected under the proposal.  Indeed, given that PHAs would be under
pressure to serve the same number of families with fewer dollars,
families with extremely low incomes could be at risk of losing their
vouchers to families with higher incomes.
 
As Congress puts together its budget proposal, Members must hear that
the President's proposal is wrong.  On Monday, March 1 and Tuesday,
March 2, housing and homelessness advocates from around the country will
call Congress to urge Members to protect the voucher program and the 2
million families it currently serves. Mark your calendar now and plan to
call! 
 
In addition, to help educate Members of Congress, DC-based advocates
will hold a briefing on the President's voucher proposal on Friday,
March 5.  When you speak to your Congressional offices, urge the staff
person to attend this briefing to learn more.  
 
Please join in! On March 1st or 2nd, call 1-888-818-6641 (toll free) and
ask to be transferred to your Representative's office. Ask to speak to
the staff person who deals with housing issues (Find out who your
members are by entering your zip code at www.nlihc.org
<http://www.nlihc.org> .) 
 
Give the person you speak with the following message: "President Bush's
proposal for the housing voucher program in the FY05 budget is wrong and
unacceptable. It would cut funds to the program and remove important
resident protections, putting thousands of people at risk of losing
their housing. As you work on the budget, it is crucial that you protect
the voucher program and the people it serves. (If appropriate, include a
story of the importance of housing vouchers in your community.)  You can
learn more at a briefing on Friday, March 5, from 11 am to noon in room
2220 of the Rayburn Office Building. Will someone from your office
commit to attending?"
 
Repeat with calls to your Senators' offices. 
 
Please report the results of your calls and any RSVPs for the March 5
briefing to katie at nlihc.org <mailto:katie at nlihc.org>  or to 202-662-1530
x222. Pass this call to action to others you work with-especially to
people who are voucher holders or who are on a waiting list. More
information is available at www.nlihc.org <http://www.nlihc.org/>  or
www.cbpp.org <http://www.cbpp.org/> . Thank you!
 
 
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