U.S. bipartisan rivalry affects housing aid program

Democrats in the U.S. Congress fended off some of the deepest cuts to housing and other social safety net programs sought by Republicans, but low-income Americans will nonetheless feel the brunt of reductions that were included in a new law.

Washington’s efforts to address the availability of affordable dwellings for low-income families and rid aging structures of dangerous lead-paint contamination suffered funding setbacks in legislation enacted earlier this month as part of a wide-ranging government spending measure.

The funding reductions in the appropriations bills already enacted into law come as housing advocates have warned that the needs of low-income families were not being met, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic and rising housing prices.

Almost six months into the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1, Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, and Democrats, who hold a Senate majority and the White House, are still arguing about federal spending priorities amid a national debt of $34.5 trillion that is rising at a dizzying rate.

The reprint link of this article is https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congressional-funding-fights-take-toll-housing-aid-programs-2024-03-17/.