Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) released the following statement in response to the announcement today that the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will stop processing new Section 8 voucher holders and will terminate nearly 3,000 vouchers:

“I am deeply distressed by NYCHA’s announcement today that they will be unable to honor about 3,000 Section 8 Housing vouchers that have already been issued. It appears the city is pulling the rug out from under those people whom they have previously promised to help.

“The problem, however, is not NYCHA’s alone. Nationwide, housing authorities are taking drastic actions to cut back on services including forcing people out of apartments, because of a lack of funding. Because the Section 8 program is designed to keep low-income families in safe, affordable rental housing units and it requires those families to pay a portion of their income for rent, as their incomes decrease or as family members lose jobs, the government is forced to pay more and more money to make up the difference between the amount the family is paying and the actual amount the apartment costs. This strains the program and forces it to spend more resources to house the same number of people.

“While Congress just approved a annual housing spending bill which included significantly more funding for housing programs than last year, $18.2 billion for tenant-based rental assistance; $8.5 billion for project-based rental assistance; and $75 million for 10,000 Section 8 vouchers for homeless veterans, it is obvious that this funding will not be sufficient to avoid the housing crisis that is facing our city and other parts of the country. I am working with Chairman Barney Frank and Chairwoman Maxine Waters to institute sound reforms and improve the Section 8 program as soon as possible so that we can then increase both the funding needed for existing vouchers as well as issue new vouchers to those who currently qualify for the program but are stuck on long waiting lists unable to receive the assistance they need.

“At a time of economic crisis, keeping people in their homes is essential. Without a safe and affordable home it is much harder to find a job, keep kids in school, and remain healthy. It is in our vital economic interests as a nation to ensure that the Section 8 program is functioning properly and it is obvious now that we in Congress must do more immediately to address this problem. I will be working with my colleagues to look for opportunities to increase funding for Section 8 housing as soon as the House reconvenes in January.”