Legislative Updates 
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Reform Proposals
Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance (Housing Choice Voucher program) is the core program intended to assist extremely low income people with the cost of housing. Congress provides funding for the Section 8 program each year: $16 billion for tenant-based vouchers and $7.1 billion for project-based vouchers in fiscal year (FY) 2009. In addition, Congress is currently considering the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA), which would improve and streamline the Section 8 program.
LATEST NEWS:
On September 17, the Senate passed an FY 2010 spending bill that included Section 8 funding. The House passed its version on July 23. The legislation must now head to a conference committee to iron out funding differences. No date has yet been set for the conference committee to meet.
On July 23, the House Financial Services Committee voted to approve SEVRA. The committee adopted a manger's amendment by Representatives Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Barney Frank (D-MA) related to the Housing Innovation Program, the next iteration of the Moving to Work demonstration program. The amendment would allow select public housing agencies to experiment with efforts to promote self-sufficiency. The legislation now awaits action by the full House.
More Information on the Section 8 Program
The section 8 program provides rental assistance for low-income households, with 75 percent of funds being targeted at households living at or below 30 percent of area median income (AMI). Section 8 tenant-based assistance follows an individual or family, regardless of whether or not they move over the course of their subsidy. Participants in the program pay 30 percent of their incomes toward rent, with the program paying the remainder up to a set maximum. This program is also referred to as the Housing Choice Voucher program. Housing Choice Vouchers are the leading form of low-income housing assistance, serving nearly two million households, including families with kids, the elderly, and people with disabilities. For more information on Housing Choice Vouchers, click here.
More Information on Section 8 Appropriations
On September 17, the Senate passed its fiscal year (FY) 2010 spending bill for Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development. Although the House passed its version on July 23, no compromise version has yet been ironed out. The Senate legislation included $18.1 billion for Section 8 tenant-based vouchers, compared to $18.2 billion in the House bill and $16 billion in FY 2009. The $18.1 billion includes:
More Information on SEVRA
SEVRA would reform the Housing Choice Voucher program for the first time in ten years and will help the program continue to provide affordable housing to millions of households, while using federal resources more efficiently. The legislation would streamline the Housing Choice Voucher program and permanently address a formula problem that led to the loss of 150,000 vouchers over three years. Under SEVRA, funding for vouchers would be based on each public housing agency’s actual spending for vouchers in the previous year. Any public housing agencies with large unspent balances would have some of their reserves reallocated to agencies that could immediately assist families on their waiting lists. If a public housing agency faced a shortfall, it could temporarily borrow from the following year’s allotment. The bill would also reform the financing of “portability” moves, so that families could more easily exercise their right to move with a voucher and agencies could save burdensome paperwork and avoid cash-flow problems.
SEVRA simplifies the rules governing the calculation of rents in public housing, project-based Section 8 properties, and the voucher program. Tenants would still be required to pay 30 percent of their income toward the rent, but the bill would streamline the process for determining tenants’ incomes and deductions. Income of families on fixed income would only have to be recertified every 3 years. SEVRA also includes some modest changes in housing inspection rules designed to ease burdens on agencies and encourage landlords to offer apartments to voucher holders. For more information on SEVRA, click here.
2009 Policy Guide
This policy guide provides information about the most important federal programs, policies, and legislation affecting homelessness. Key housing and homelessness topics are covered including HUD's McKinney-Vento homeless assistance programs, Section 8 housing choice vouchers, and housing programs dedicated to people with HIV/AIDS, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
FY 2010 Appropriations: Housing Choice Vouchers
Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance (Housing Choice Voucher program) is the core program intended to assist extremely low-income people with the cost of housing. Approximately 2 million households receive rental assistance through this program. Congress should fund all existing vouchers and 200,000 additional Housing Choice Vouchers in FY 2010.
Section 8 Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA): An Overview
This document, provided by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, provides information about key provisions in the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act.
Section 8 Resources
Click here to access resources on Section 8 programs, including information on how to answer difficult questions about Section 8 from the media and Congressional staff. Also available is an overview of Section 8.
