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Nadler: Bush Budget Slashes Housing Programs Essential to New Yorkers

President Bush released his fiscal year 2007 budget this morning, revealing his intent to slash housing programs critical to New York’s working poor, elderly, and disabled.  The President has consistently shortchanged New Yorkers over his five years in office, and this budget is no exception: his tax cuts for America’s wealthiest are offset by steep reductions in essential programs from the poor.


“This is Robin Hood in reverse: the Bush Administration is taking from the poor to give to the rich,” Congressman Nadler said.  “For a President who touts morality as his guiding light, it’s shocking to see how far he’ll go in denying our elderly, disabled, and working poor their basic right to shelter.”

The President’s FY07 Budget cuts housing funding in these critical areas:

Community Development  Block Grants

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Cut $736 million, or 20 percent.  Previous: $3.711 billion.  Now: $2.975 billion.

Housing for the Elderly

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Cut $189 million, or 26 percent.  Previous: $734.6 million.  Now: $544.5 million.

Housing for Persons with Disabilities

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Cut $118 million, or 50 percent.  Previous: $237 million.  Now: $119 million.

Lead Paint Abatement

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Cut $35 million, or 23 percent.  Previous: $150 million.  Now: $115 million.

Public Housing

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Cut $459 million overall, or 8 percent.  Achieved by cutting the Capital Fund 11 percent and zeroing out funding for the HOPE VI program.

The budget does not appear directly to cut two programs that Congressman Nadler has championed in the House for the past decade: Housing Opportunities for People with Aids (HOPWA) and Section 8 housing vouchers.

More details on housing funding – and figures specific to will be available as analysis of the budget progresses.

“The President’s budget declaration is step one,” Congressman Nadler added.  “Just as we do every year, we’re going to gear up and fight these cuts, line by line.”


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