Advocates of the Section 8 voucher program, the largest public housing program, scored a small victory on the House floor last week when the Nadler-Velazquez amendment to boost voucher funding by $150 million passed 217 – 208. The money, included in the fiscal year 2004 VA-HUD appropriations bill (HR 2861), would be taken from the HUD working capitol fund that provides information technology in housing programs.The President’s original budget request for Section 8 would have jeopardized 184,000 vouchers and put hundreds of thousands of families at risk for losing their housing, according to analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The VA-HUD appropriations subcommittee added $685 million above the President’s request on July 15. However, even when combined with the additional $150 million approved last week on the House floor, funding for Section 8 voucher program is not sufficient to make up the shortfall for current vouchers. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has issued a series of reports on funding for housing vouchers

The Senate has yet to act on the VA-HUD appropriations bill.

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