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Severe Cuts to Housing Programs Tomorrow if You Don't Call Today!

February 28, 2013

Severe Cuts to Housing Programs Tomorrow if You Don't Call Today!

URGE CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT VITAL HOUSING PROGRAMS

Tomorrow, Friday March 1st, $85 billion in spending cuts will take effect, as mandated by the Budget Control Act, and will leave millions of Americans without any recourse. The sequestration will include cuts to domestic programs by 9% and over 13% cuts to the U.S. Department of Defense over the course of the next 7 months.

The overall impact of the sequester will account for $31.4 billion in cuts to domestic programs that include WIC and Head Start. These cuts will have significant consequences to critical programs for child care, housing, home energy, homeless aid, education, and work force training. Specifically, the $85 billion in cuts will leave 70,000 children without Head Start and 30,000 others without child care; and 600,000 children and mothers will see cuts to WIC nutrition aid. At a time with high unemployment rates, the sequester will impact families living paycheck to paycheck because unemployment benefits will also be cut. Also, 125,000 families will not be able to receive rental housing vouchers, nor will they have assistance to help pay for home energy costs. Agencies like the U.S. Department of Education will face a 7.8% reduction; and workforce training services will also be cut.

It is imperative that our Members of Congress hear from you. They must know that cuts to domestic programs which serve low-and-moderate income families will do nothing to stimulate the economy or rectify our country’s budgetary inadequacies. In fact, irresponsible cuts will cause irreparable harm as countless of layoffs will leave crucial agencies inadequately staffed to properly oversee the country’s food safety and air traffic control agencies.

We need a balanced solution to resolving the nation’s debt. Without Congressional action, we could lose an estimated 750,000 jobs and our economic growth in 2013 could be cut by half, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

LULAC urges you to contact your Member of Congress at 202-224-3121 and encourage him/her to find revenue building alternatives to these drastic and harmful cuts.

CALL the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to get connected with your Member of Congress. Use the following script as a guideline for when you call your representative.

HOUSING SCRIPT FOR CALL WITH REPRESENTATIVE:

The Effects of the Cuts on HUD

Hello. My name is __________ (please give your name) and I am calling from________ (city, state). I am calling today to ask Congressman/Senator__________(name of Member of Congress) to stand with me and the American public in support of a balanced approach to resolving our nation’s debt crisis.

I am concerned with the $85 billion dollars in cuts the Sequester will trigger on Friday, March 1, if Congress does not find a compromise in resolving our nation’s fiscal crisis.

The impact these needless and indiscriminate cuts will have on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would further weaken HUD’s ability to serve low-income communities of color. In fact, HUD is expecting an 8.2% reduction in its FY2013 budget. This cut would seriously endanger the capacity of low-income families to afford decent housing. According to HUD estimates, 185,000 households would lose rental assistance in 2013 under the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program (economic assistance for low-income families). This voucher program currently helps over 5 million people in 2.1 million low income households. Moreover, Section 202 that deals in elderly housing and Section 811 that deals in disabled housing will suffer a reduction of $31 million and $14 million respectively, leaving more than 250,000 people homeless.

I urge Congressman/Senator __________ to work with his colleagues in Congress to find a balanced approach to our budgetary problems that does not slow our economy or further disadvantage the most vulnerable by cutting these domestic programs.

Thank you!

State-Specific Data Points

Below is state-level data on the impact of the Sequester released by The White House. For additional information please visit: www.whitehouse.gov/sequester

Arizona

  • Public Health: Arizona will lose approximately $611,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases and natural disasters. In addition, the Arizona State Department of Health Services will lose about $186,000 resulting in around 4,600 fewer HIV tests.
  • Child Care: up to 500 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.
  • Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution: Arizona will lose about $298,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and prevention.


California

  • Teachers and Schools: California will lose approximately $87.6 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 1,210 teachers and aide jobs at risk.
  • Head Start: Head start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 8,200 children in California, reducing access to critical early education.
  • Child care: up to 2,000 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.
  • Public Health: California will lose approximately $2.6 million in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases and natural disasters. In addition California will lose about $12.4 million in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 9,400 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs.
  • Law enforcement and public safety fund for crime prevention and prosecution: California will lose about $1.6 million in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecuting and prevention.

Florida

  • Teachers and Schools: Florida will lose approximately $54.5 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 750 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition, the state will lose approximately 31.1 million in funds for about 380 teachers, aides, and staff who help children with disabilities.
  • Law enforcement and public safety fund for crime prevention and prosecution: Florida will lose about $970,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and prevention.
  • Child Care: up to 1,600 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.
  • Vaccines for Children: In Florida around 7,450 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps and hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about 509,000.

Illinois

  • Teachers and Schools: will lose approximately $33.4 million in funding for primary and secondary education putting around 460 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition 39,000 fewer students would be served.
  • Head Start: Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 2,700 children.
  • Job search assistance to help those in Illinois find employment and training: Illinois will lose about $1.4 million in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 50,780 fewer people will get the help and skills they need to find employment.
  • Child care: up to 1,100 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.

Indiana

  • Teachers and Schools: Indiana will lose approximately $13.8 million in funding for primary and secondary education putting around 190 teacher and aide jobs at risk.
  • Head Start: Head start and early head start services would be eliminated for approximately 1,000 children in Indiana, reducing access to critical early education.
  • Child Care: up to 600 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.

Maryland

  • Teachers and Schools: Maryland will lose approximately $14.4 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 200 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 12,000 fewer students would be served.
  • Vaccines for Children: in Maryland around 2,050 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about $140,000.
  • Child Care: up to 400 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.

Massachusetts

  • Public Health: Massachusetts will lose approximately $625,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases and natural disasters. In addition, the Massachusetts State Department of Public Health will lose about $367,000 resulting in around 9,200 fewer HIV tests.
  • Vaccines for Children: in Massachusetts around 2,940 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about 201,000.
  • Teachers and Schools: Massachusetts will lose approximately $13.9 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 190 teacher and aide jobs at risk, in addition about 20,000 fewer students would be served.

Nevada

  • Teachers and Schools: Nevada will lose approximately $9 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 120 teacher and aide jobs at risk.
  • Head start: Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 300 children in Nevada.
  • Job search assistance to help those in Nevada find employment and training: Nevada will lose about $291,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 10,820 fewer people will get the help and skills they need to find employment.
  • Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution: Nevada will lose about $181,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and prevention.

New Mexico

  • Teachers and Schools: New Mexico will lose approximately $6.1 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 80 teachers and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 12,000 fewer students would be served.
  • Head Start: Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 500 children in New Mexico, reducing access to critical early education.
  • Vaccines for children: in New Mexico around 790 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and hepatitis B due to reduced funding from vaccinations of about $54,000.

New York

  • Teachers and Schools: New York will lose approximately $42.7 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 590 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 70,000 fewer students would be served.
  • Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution: New York will lose about $780,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and crime prevention.
  • Job search assistance to help those in New York find employment and training: New York will lose about $884,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 46,230 fewer people will get the help and skills they need to find employment.

Ohio

  • Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution: Ohio will lose about $455,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and prevention.
  • Job search assistance to help those in Ohio find employment and training: Ohio will lose $1,786,000 in in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 57,100 fewer people will get the help and skill they need to find employment.
  • Child Care: up to 800 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.

Texas

  • Teachers and Schools: Texas will lose approximately $67.8 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 930 teacher and aide jobs at risk.
  • Law Enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution: Texas will lose about $1,103,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and crime prevention.
  • Job Search assistance to help those in Texas find employment and training: Texas will lose about $2,263,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 83,750 fewer people will get the help and skill they need to find employment.
  • Public Health: Texas will lose approximately $2,402,000 in funds to help upgrade is ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases and natural disasters. In addition, Texas will lose about $6,750,000 in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 2,800 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. And Texas’ Health Departments will lose about $1,146,000 resulting in around 28,600 fewer HIV tests.

Virginia

  • Public Health: Virginia will lose approximately $764,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases and natural disasters. In addition, Virginia will lose about $2,140,000 in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 1,700 fewer admission to substance abuse programs.
  • Job search assistance to help those in Virginia find employment and training: Virginia will lose about 348,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 18.390 fewer people will get the help and skill they need to find employment.
  • Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution: Virginia will lose about $276,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and crime prevention.

Wisconsin

  • Teacher and Schools: Wisconsin will lose approximately $8.5 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 120 teacher and aide jobs at risk.
  • Child Care: up to 500 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.
  • Law enforcement and public safety funds for crime prevention and prosecution: Wisconsin will lose about $216,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and crime prevention.