US congressional funding fights take toll on housing aid programs
By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Democrats in the U.S. Congress fended off some of the deepest cuts to housing and other social safety net programs sought by Republicans, but low-income Americans will nonetheless feel the brunt of reductions that were included in a new law.
Washington's efforts to address the availability of affordable dwellings for low-income families and rid aging structures of dangerous lead-paint contamination suffered funding setbacks in legislation enacted earlier this month as part of a wide-ranging government spending measure.
As soon as Sunday, congressional leaders could unveil a deal on a second batch of legislation that may include funding for important health, labor and education programs. Lawmakers face a Friday deadline to pass these measures or risk a partial government shutdown.
The bills would determine funding levels for an array of social programs, including teachers serving low-income students, reducing mortality for poor pregnant women, job training for disadvantaged youth and HIV prevention.
The funding reductions in the appropriations bills already enacted into law come as housing advocates have warned that the needs of low-income families were not being met, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic and rising housing prices.
Almost six months into the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1, Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, and Democrats, who hold a Senate majority and the White House, are still arguing about federal spending priorities amid a national debt of $34.5 trillion that is rising at a dizzying rate.
«Today, it costs in some places 40% more than it did before the pandemic to produce affordable housing,» said Kevin Nowak, head of the nonprofit CHN
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