Washington Families Risk Losing Housing Assistance

Thousands of low income families in Washington could face painful reductions in housing assistance if Congress fails to approve additional funding for a critical federal voucher program. The Housing Choice Voucher Program provides rental support for about two million low income families throughout the United States. The program, however, faces a large budget shortfall for the remainder of 2009. Left unfilled, this shortfall could force hundreds of state and local housing agencies, serving 500,000 families, to curtail or eliminate rental assistance administered through the voucher program. Here in Washington, as many as 11,550 families could see reductions in housing vouchers.

According to a new analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the shortfall in the voucher program immediately threatens rental assistance in about 400 state and local housing agencies. Cumulatively, these agencies will need an additional $130 million in funding for vouchers in 2009 to avoid drastic cuts in rental assistance and to restore assistance where cuts have already been made.

As of May 2009, shortfalls among housing agencies in Washington totaled nearly $1.6 million, leaving vouchers for 404 families completely unfunded.

The CBPP report goes on to show that states will have few good options should congress fail to approve additional funds for the voucher program. These options include:

• Denying vouchers to eligible families on waiting lists, even when slots become available;



• raising rents on voucher families;



• reducing rents paid to property owners; and



• terminating vouchers for participating families.

Four Facts About GA-U#4: What Will Happen If It's Gone?

Today is the last installment in a special series on General Assistance-Unemployable, a state program that provides assistance to adults who cannot work because of disability and are not eligible for other programs.

We all hope that if we become disabled or struggle with a mental illness, we will have the economic security and support we need to recover, get back to work, and maintain a modest quality of life. The General Assistance-Unemployable program provides that for thousands of people in our state.

Washington lawmakers have proposed eliminating or reducing the state's GA-U program as a cost-saving measure. But what will happen in Washington if there is no General Assistance for adults with disabilities?

Recipients of GA-U have serious health problems that require ongoing medical care. The GA-U program offers health benefits in the form of fee-for-service medical coupons, or in Pierce and King Counties, a managed care plan. Without these benefits, GA-U clients are more likely to seek care in hospital emergency rooms and community health clinics which are required to provide health care regardless of a patient's ability to pay. This is not a cost-efficient choice for the state: Non-reimbursed health care in a hospital ER, for example, costs the state up to four times as much as an average doctor's visit.

The loss of medical benefits is also likely to lead to a worsening of physical and mental problems for GA-U clients. At the very least, this will prolong the time they are unable work and at worst, could lead to dire outcomes for clients.

What about eliminating the cash assistance provided to GA-U clients? Currently GA-U recipients receive $339 per month to help pay for basic needs. This includes rent for low-income housing, food, and medicine. With no income, some GA-U clients are likely to lose their ability to maintain housing, which will have an impact on their health and future employment status.

Eliminating General Assistance is not the right way for our state to go. Oregon, which got rid of its GA program in 2003, is in the process of reinstating its General Assistance program with support of the Governor’s office. Without assistance, disabled Oregonians found themselves in emergency rooms and on the streets, unable to become healthy and work. We are likely to see the same outcomes here in Washington.

Accessing Federal Stimulus Money for Unemployment Insurance

Like many states in the nation, Washington is facing the problem of growing unemployment. Over the next year, the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council has projected that the state unemployment rate will rise to ten percent, the highest level since 1983.

As the economy falters, the need for a robust state Unemployment Insurance (UI) program grows. In recognition of this need, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes provisions (a.k.a. the UI Modernization Act) to update and improve state UI programs. Here in Washington, the new federal dollars could bring in over $150 million, money that would provide a direct boost to the state economy.

States have to meet certain criteria in their UI policies in order to draw down the extra federal money. Currently, Washington is eligible for one-third of its total allotment. In order to access the rest of the money – nearly $100 million - Washington must make two meaningful improvements to our state policies.

The Legislature is already moving to adopt one reform – allowing unemployment benefits for workers who must leave their job in order to follow a spouse who has obtained new employment. There are two options being considered in the Legislature for the other policy change that would allow us to receive the remaining federal funding. They are:

- Expanding eligibility for people who can only work part-time hours
- Extending benefits to all UI recipients who participate in worker training programs

Part-time
Washington currently allows eligibility for some unemployed workers who are seeking part-time work, but the state’s policies are too restrictive to meet the federal criteria. As it stands, Washington only allows benefits for workers seeking part-time work if they were previously employed for 17 hours or less per week. Laid-off workers that were previously employed for more than 17 hours per week must be available to work full-time hours or lose their UI eligibility.

In order to qualify under the federal criteria, Washington would need to change its part-time eligibility rules to include workers who seek employment of 20 hours per week or more. This change is expected to particularly benefit lower income and women workers.

Worker Training
The extension of UI benefits while recipients are in worker training programs is important because it enables people to develop skills in areas of employment with high demand and it can set them on a path for higher wages in the future. The state has already committed to some policy changes regarding extended benefits for UI recipients in worker training programs. As of September 2009, eligibility will not only include those who work in declining occupations, but also honorably discharged military veterans, people who have been injured and can no longer do their previous work, and lower income workers.

But in order to meet the federal criteria, our program will have to be even more inclusive and easier for UI recipients to navigate. The changes would mean many more unemployed workers would have access to twice the number of weeks of benefits – up to a year as long as they remain in a training program.

Four Facts About GA-U#1: GA-U is an Important Part of Our Health Care System

Today is the first installment in a special series on General Assistance-Unemployable, a state program that provides assistance to adults who cannot work because of disability and are not eligible for other programs.

State investments in health and economic security ensure that everyone can meet basic needs in times of financial hardship. The General Assistance-Unemployable (GA-U) program provides temporary assistance to Washingtonians that are unable to work due to disability. The program plays an important role in the state’s health care and economic security infrastructure by providing medical benefits and modest financial assistance to those who are not served by other public assistance programs.

The medical benefits provided to GA-U clients are part of a larger systemic effort in Washington to broaden access to health insurance. This effort includes lower-income workers who receive benefits through Basic Health to children who are covered under the state’s Apple Health for Kids. Maintaining funding for GA-U reflects our state’s long term goal of expanding access to the uninsured to improve health outcomes and better manage costs.

GA-U clients range from those who suffer from physical ailments stemming from injuries to others with debilitating mental illnesses. Health issues are a primary concern for clients in the GA-U program, many of whom suffer from co-existing physical, mental, and substance abuse problems. There are 21,000 people enrolled at any given month in the GA-U program and clients can be found in every county of the state.

Importantly, GA-U fills gaps that would otherwise exist in our state’s health care infrastructure. Eligibility for other assistance programs is very limited for adults who do not have children at home, even if they are unable to work to support themselves. And federal programs do not cover adults whose disability is considered to be temporary. For these Washingtonians, GA-U provides access to much-needed medical help and the chance to avoid deep poverty and homelessness.

Children and Homelessness in Washington State

Safe, stable, and affordable housing is an important component of economic security for Washington families. According to a new report by the National Center on Family Homelessness, more than 24,000 children are homeless in Washington State.* The report ranks Washington 25th in the nation in child homelessness. (This is a composite of the number of homeless children in the state, an assessment of their well-being, the risk of children becoming homeless, and state efforts to address the problem.)

Among the homeless children in Washington State, close to 11,000 are under six years old, about 9,500 are between kindergarten and eighth grade, and over 4,000 are in high school. (See graph) Fifty-eight percent of Washington’s homeless children are white, 28 percent are Hispanic, and ten percent are black.


Food
Food security is very low for one in 26 of Washington’s households, which is comparable to national rates of food security. Households living in poverty and headed by single women are especially vulnerable to hunger.

Health
Homeless children in Washington are also more than twice as likely as middle income children to have moderate or severe health problems, such as asthma, dental problems, and emotional difficulties.

Education
Less than 25 percent of homeless high school students in Washington graduate, which has a significantly negative impact on their lifetime earning potential.

Affordable housing
In Washington, it can be especially difficult for low-wage workers to find affordable housing. A full-time worker earning minimum wage ($8.07 per hour) in Washington would need to work close to 80 hours per week for 52 weeks a year in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent.**

For a typical homeless family, which consists of a single mother with two children, affordable housing can be even more out of reach. The average income for a single mother in Washington who receives public support is less than $550 per month, which means she could afford to pay $157 monthly in rent. The cost of a two-bedroom apartment at FMR would be $672 higher than that each month.

Shelter and transitional housing
Families in Washington seeking emergency shelter or transitional housing do have some options. The state currently supports 827 units of emergency housing or shelter for one family, 2,628 units of transitional housing, and 595 units of permanent supportive housing designated for families. In Washington, approximately 89 percent or 3,348 individuals, of the total number of people on wait lists for public housing are families with very low incomes. Washington State does give priority on the wait lists to families experiencing homelessness and to survivors of domestic violence.

Long-term investments
The state has made long-term investments in trying to address the lack of affordable housing. In 1987, the Washington State Housing Trust Fund was created as a source of capital funding to support affordable housing for lower income Washingtonians. The Fund supports the construction, acquisition or rehabilitation of over 4,500 units every two years. In 2008, the Fund was increased to $200 million for the biennium, but the need still exists for affordable housing.

*The definition of homeless children and youth used in the report is that described in Title X, Part C, Section 725 of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

**Fair Market Rent is defined as "the maximum chargeable gross rent in an area for projects participating in the HUD Section 8 program," and is set at the 40th percentile of market rents for units at each bedroom size as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. American Community Survey. (2006)

Homelessness Likely to Rise under Governor's Budget

A decade ago, I was the primary author of the annual survey on hunger and homelessness published by the US Conference of Mayors. During the intervening years, there have been significant new efforts to reduce homelessness in America. Cities, counties, and states have adopted 10-year plans to significantly decrease or eliminate homelessness. There was wide agreement that we all need public supports and services that provide avenues to economic security.

Washington State has a statutory goal of reducing homelessness by 50% by 2015. As part of this 10-year plan the state has made significant investments towards that goal including doubling the size of the Housing Trust Fund and towards helping offenders that are being released from jails and prisons transition into the community without ending up homeless.

This plan (and the complementary plans of cities and counties across the state) are apparently not a priority now. That's the message one would infer from the budget that the Governor submitted. Half-way through our ten-year plans have we decided that the goal of ending homelessness is no longer of value?

After much progress, the Governor's budget undermines this goal by proposing cuts in mental health coverage for adults who don't qualify for Medicaid, reducing transitional housing funding for offenders reentering community settings, reducing the investment in the housing trust fund by 50%, and eliminating cash assistance and medical coupons to disabled adults who can't work.

Homelessness is already on the rise in cities across the nation. According to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a fall 2008 survey of 22 cities found 16 showed an increase in homeless families with children. In another national survey, one in five responding school districts reported having more homeless children in the fall of 2008 than over the course of the entire 2007-2008 school year.

Is this the future we want for our cities and hometowns here in Washington? Now more than ever, the state should invest in reducing homelessness through public supports and services that provide economic security and pathways out of poverty.