Updates to Affordable Housing & Choice Voucher Programs

No matter where you reside, affordable housing challenges are about to worsen for everyone including you. According to an article posted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the new funding bill that recently passed offers 13 BILLION in domestic spending cuts. Funding for Tenant Based Rental Assistance, Hud's Project Based Assistant Programs, affordable housing for older adults and people with disabilities are all at risk. It is important to emphasize that singles, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities are the fastest growing group of homeless people in America. Housing is a human essential and homelessness can lead to a snowball of other issues including death!

TARIFFS

In addition, the looming tariff threats will also affect the construction of every new affordable housing and rehabilitation to existing units NATIONWIDE. Investors, construction companies and supply facilities will be unlikely to absorb these extra taxes, which will ultimately increase cost for everyday people. Funding distributed to non-profit organizations or other businesses who provide supportive services are also at risk including the Housing Choice Voucher Program which helps displaced people get back on their feet

The Department of Government Efficiency is focusing on any and all programs that "cater" to:

Homelessness
Minorities (D.E.I.)
Education
Political Opposition/Associations

In Michigan 60 Housing bills were up for passage in 2024 that would have assisted everyday people with a variety of housing obstacles. Most of this legislation did not get passed. Increased rent, unattainable tenant requirements, enormous application fees and prejudicialness against people with pass evictions are just some of the very real challenges that affect many renters. Close to 75% of the American population are homeowners, but their average median income is in excess of $80,000!

It is easy to suggest spending adjustments or spending goals to help prepare others for home ownership however, most renters earn half as much as the average homeowner. This gap cannot be overcome by fruitless programs that do not address the overall core challenges that perpetuate these issues and continues to exist. There are approximately 200,000 eviction fillings in Michigan alone each year.

California, New York, Florida, Washington, Texas, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Arizona are all states with the highest homelessness populations. Tariffs will only add to the affordable housing and homeless crisis. Recent cuts to dozens of federal programs will also contribute to inefficiency by eliminating core programs and services that assist people with housing and relatable issues. Higher cost in steele, and aluminum not only impedes construction, it also eliminate more jobs. Job cuts will only worsen unemployment. This will also impact the economy as an unstable housing and job market will cause a downtrend in spending, including home buying. Add in the looming cuts to education, social security, Medicaid, and it is easy to become increasingly wary of any immediate progress.

What Can You Do to Help:

ATTEND A TOWN-HALL MEETING

Several politicians and others are hosting townhalls in and around their communities either by phone or in-person. A few weeks ago I participated in a conference call that was in a townhall format. Over 10,000+ people attended. Several Michigan republicans are also hosting virtual or tele townhall meetings. The website House.gov list the names of House Representatives upcoming scheduled events. Reach out to this site or their direct offices for townhall meeting information. Another good place to look is your local newspaper or city/state website.

ORGANIZE A COMMUNITY EVENT

Invite a group of your loved ones, friends, neighbors or co workers to an event to discuss community issues and concerns. Have someone create a list of ideas and solutions that can be shared online with your tribe and others in your community. Check with your local church, library or community halls for free or low cost space.

USE YOUR VOICE

We can share our stories in a variety of ways, and we have the ability to choose how we do it. Protesting is not for everyone, and neither is speaking up at a public event, however, there are other ways you can use your voice:

WRITE. Every politician local, state and federal has a registered email address. It only takes a few moments to send a quick note or visit their website to share your concerns. The written word is a powerful tool that promotes change.
CREATE Use of your artistic, musical, or persuasive talents to share your thoughts and ideas. Draw a picture. Write a poem. Compose a song. Invent a game. Create a visual using your hands.... there are a host of other expressive tools that we can make use of.
BECOME INFORMED We are only as empowered as we are knowledgeable. Challenge yourself to spend 15 minutes each day engaging in mindfulness. Use this time to reflect and process the information of the day. If 15 minutes seems like a long time, track how much time you waste on mindless distractions instead. How much more could you get done if you were more intentional with your time? Such a simple yet consistent task yields results!