Well – how many times have we been through this in the 31 years we have been writing to you? How many demonstrations? Fasts? How many "Call your Congressperson" campaigns? Today, we find ourselves waiting yet again to learn the exact impact the cuts Congress will heap upon those least able to absorb the them.
Many programs that were put in place to alleviate the suffering of poor people, those living with disability or mental illnesses and the elderly have already been severely cut. Any further cuts will be devastating.
Some examples:
Federal
According to Laura Bassett of the Huffington Post “although the housing crisis is far from over, HUD (Dept of Housing and Urban Development) will have about a billion dollars less to spend on homelessness and housing programs in FY 2012 than it did the previous year. The Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness will receive an increase in funds that will allow it to assist approximately 78,000 new homeless families, but funds will be slashed for housing programs for seniors and the disabled, as well as for the Community Development Block Grant Program, which builds and rehabilitates affordable housing.
Jeremy Rosen, policy director for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty said “I think it’s a rearranging of deck chairs on the Titanic, so to speak, because we’re saying, ‘Okay, we’re gonna provide a little bit more money to people who are homeless by taking it away from housing programs that stop people from falling into homelessness,’” he said. “We’re obviously in a housing crisis, so a budget that cuts a billion dollars is not going to really make meaningful steps toward addressing that.”
One program that was completely left out of HUD’s 2012 budget, the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, was already having trouble keeping up with demand in 2010, according to a recent National Low Income Housing Report.
The program, which helps keep people in their apartments by subsidizing their rent, will likely run out of money in most states before the end of 2011 without additional HUD funding.
Locally we are looking at enormous cuts as well.
• $23 million for emergency homeless shelters
• $21.4 million for mental health hospitals, children’s community flexible supports and clubhouse programs (DMH)
• $15 million for employment services programs (DTA)
• $14.4 million for community services for the blind and turning 22 programs and services (MCB)
• $14 million for family respite services (DDS)
• $11.5 million for clothing allowance paid for families receiving TAFDC (DTA)
• $8.3 million for residential services for detained or committed populations (DYS)
• $8 million for early intervention services (DPH)
• $6.6 million for group care services (DCF)
• $6.5 million for health promotion activities and newborn hearing screenings - eliminating these programs (DPH)
• $4 million for services for children and families (DCF)
• $2 million for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and services (DPH)
The cuts that are being proposed to community programs, Medicare and Medicaid will increase the gap between the rich and the rest of us. The net result of which will make our country weaker not stronger! [See graphic from Center for Budget and Policy Priorities right] It tells the story pretty well.
USA Today says, “The U.S. ...has the greatest (income)disparity among Western industrialized nations.
We stubbornly refuse to let go of a vision of justice. With your help PPUF helps to lend flesh and blood to a vision of justice that says the rich should not get richer while the poor get poorer. It sounds straight forward enough... but when setting spending priorities it’s those with the biggest voices ($$$$$) that get heard. These days those voices are louder than ever.
As frustrated as we may get we cannot afford the luxury of cynicism- we must continue to push against the tide of money and indifference. The well being of millions of people -the most vulnerable among us - is on the line. We must make our voices heard! So here we go again!!!Call those Congressmen and women and State legislators!
In struggle and hope,
Your friends at PPUF
No comments:
Post a Comment