Editorial: Homelessness First?

Tuesday, March 30, 2004 | 9:03 a.m.

The Bush administration is working at cross purposes when it comes to homelessness. Two years ago it created the Interagency Council on Homelessness, which is championing a national program called "Housing First." This program depends largely on federal help -- grants and administrative assistance -- to increase the availability of low-cost housing. Its goal is to substantially reduce homelessness within 10 years.

Any gains under that program, however, would likely be more than offset by the Bush administration's plan to cut $1 billion from the longtime rental assistance program known as Section 8. A cut of that magnitude, housing experts say, would cut all assistance to 200,000 families nationwide. Housing authorities in Southern Nevada would see $9.6 million cut from the program. An estimated 1,331 local families would lose their assistance.

We believe in the Housing First program. Not all, but many -- maybe even most -- homeless people could eventually become self-sufficient with the right help, which starts with clean, inexpensive and safe housing. It's discouraging, though, to think that while many homeless people are recovering their lives, thousands more will be taking their place in the streets because they lost their rental assistance.

The Section 8 program, granted, is not perfect. The criticisms that Section 8 landlords overcharge, that the housing is often substandard and that many tenants have no motivation to move toward self-sufficiency have merit in many cases. The answer in those cases, of course, is to reform the program, not end it. A sudden end to assistance -- the cuts could start hitting as soon as October -- will add to the even larger problem of homelessness.

Judging just from Southern Nevada's experience, the program is necessary. All three of our local housing authorities have waiting lists for Section 8 assistance that number in the thousands. The average wait to enroll is two years. Congress should block this proposed cut. If anything, Section 8 should be augmented to help achieve the goals of Housing First.