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About a dozen Portland-area families promised housing vouchers by Home Forward won’t get them because Congress didn’t increase funds needed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to cover rising rents and utility bills for tenants.
“Unfortunately, your upcoming Housing Choice Voucher orientation appointment has been canceled,” says a recent letter from Jimmy Rattanasouk, director of Housing Choice Vouchers at Home Forward. “Our Housing Choice Voucher program is in ‘shortfall’ status which means our current funding from HUD is not sufficient to cover the cost of all our authorized vouchers.”
One of the letters, with the name blacked out, was posted Wednesday on Reddit under the heading “I don’t even know what to say. This is devastating.” Home Forward told WW the letter was authentic.
The dilemma is a relatively small one among many for cities and states as the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress freeze or cut back budgets for programs aimed at helping disadvantaged Americans.
Home Forward, Portland’s housing authority, had promised vouchers to about 12 families when staff thought it could cover their cost, Ian Davie, chief operating officer at Home Forward, wrote in response to questions from WW about the letters. But Congress kept funding for the Housing Choice Voucher program flat compared with previous years, despite rising rents.
“Unfortunately, Home Forward had already notified around a dozen families that they would soon be issued a voucher, so we immediately made them aware of this new restriction,” Davie wrote. “These families do not currently receive housing assistance from Home Forward, but we understand that this is difficult news for these families.”
The shortfall won’t affect families already living in Home Forward buildings or receiving Home Forward vouchers for use at other properties, Davie wrote. The new families affected by the shortfall will remain at the top of Home Forward’s waiting lists.
“HUD has recognized that Home Forward’s current funding is insufficient to cover rising costs in the tenant-based voucher program, and has begun working to address this shortfall,” Davie wrote. “We are grateful for HUD’s partnership and will continue to work with this federal partner to maximize resources available to our community, and communicate any impacts to families.”
Home Forward aids over 18,000 households every year.
