Cuts To HUD Programs Would Leave Poor Renters Out In The Cold
With the Trump administration proposing a $6.2B cut in funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, very few of San Diego County’s 100,000 low-income families on a waiting list for Section 8 rent assistance would receive HUD help. HUD provides $242M annually in Section 8 funds for rental assistance to San Diego families, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Proposed HUD budget cuts involve programs identified as “not demonstrating results.” This includes $3B for Urban Redevelopment Block Grants that provide funding for affordable housing development and infrastructure like parks and community centers. The administration's proposed budget also cuts separate funding for $4.2B in grants, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance program that helps low-income Americans pay their heating bills.
The proposed budget keeps rental assistance at the current level, but does not provide for escalating rents. It also cuts programs to build more subsidized housing units and eliminates down-payment assistance for first-time buyers, some short-term rental assistance for foster children aging out of programs and families of drug court participants. Projects these grants recently helped include the Eastgate Apartment complex in San Marcos with 42 subsidized units, the SilverSage Apartment complex in Lakeside with 60 subsidized units, and playgrounds at Clemmens Lane Park in Fallbrook and at the Mountain Empire Community Center in Campo.
