Ben Stuckart: Federal budget cuts could push Spokane’s housing crisis past the tipping point

Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the budget. This budget is now in the hands of the Senate. This budget contains significant cuts of various housing programs and eliminates many programs meant to care for those making the least in our community.

This budget, if passed by the Senate and signed by the president, would devastate the social safety net in the Spokane region.

Some reminders about the state of affairs in Spokane County: The current waitlists for low-income housing averages three years. There are more people on waitlists for low-income housing than we have units in the entire system. Construction costs are increasing an average of 8% per year. Insurance rates are rising at over 20% per year for low-income housing providers. The Washington State Department of Commerce shows that our region needs over 26,000 units of low-income housing over the next 20 years, yet we barely produce 200 a year with current funding.

Specific programs completely eliminated by this budget:

Community Development Block Grant: These block grants are one of the only funding sources for community development and contribute to housing renovations and community improvements.

Spokane region impact: Loss of over $4 million annually

Housing impact: Loss of dollars for rehabilitation of old housing and funding for new housing

HOME Funds: These are some of the only funding sources to build new low-income housing. These funds have been used for an average of four to five new projects every year.

Spokane region impact: Loss of over $3 million annually

Housing impact: Less projects will be built.

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program: These funds help with energy bills (heating and cooling), weatherization and minor home repairs. These are the only funds available for these purposes.

Spokane region impact: Thousands of low-income individuals in Spokane will no longer receive help

Housing vouchers: Changes in the budget will decrease vouchers by about 40%. These provide housing stability to thousands of individuals in market rate and homeless housing.

Spokane region impact: Loss of subsidy for around 2,500 Spokane region individuals and families

Housing impact: These changes have the potential to close all homeless housing in Spokane due to financial inability to operate housing.

Fair Housing: TheFair Housing office would be closed in Spokane, as well as all others across the country.

Spokane region impact: Over 2,000 people are helped annually when denied fair housing counseling and services. This is eliminated.

Housing impact: Thousands of individuals suffering from illegal practices would have no recourse. This contributes to housing instability and increased homelessness.

Continuum of Care: The local Continuum of Care is eliminated and funds are rolled into other more restrictive funds.

Spokane region impact: These funds would no longer pay for services in current housing and would eliminate the current intake system.

Housing impact: There would be no system to get people into the housing that is left and those in housing would receive no mental health or substance abuse services. Likely ending our ability to house those on the streets.

Spokane has been having a conversation around homelessness in our community for the past 10 years. We have seen numbers increase. We have seen many different ideas floated and new models implemented. None of this will matter if these cuts happen. We will only see more people on our streets and our most vulnerable will suffer.

We have a system in place, while not perfect, that will be cut off at the knees. Not only will low-income housing production suffer, but the systems that keep people currently housed stable will be undercut. We have never seen legislation such as this be proposed by a sitting president or make it through one house of Congress. Now is not the time for politics, but the time for us all to take action or things will much worse and in four years we will all be asking, “How did this happen?”

The items listed above don’t even mention proposed cuts to Medicaid or SNAP food access. These will pile on additional burdens to the most vulnerable in our community. Once these cuts are implemented you will see a trail of suffering for years. We call on people of conscience to call your Senate and House members and ask them to reverse these cuts.

Ben Stuckart is the executive director of the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium. The Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium is a 501©3 organization made up of nonprofit low-income housing providers, market rate developers, architects, credit unions and others interested in affordable housing for everyone. For more information, call (509) 710-9611 or email ben@slihc.org.