#Roommates, get into this! Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is trying to triple the minimum rent that the poorest Americans pay to get federally subsidized housing. His proposal would put nearly 1 million children at risk of homelessnes, according to an analysis of HUD data by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
The Washington Post reported that under current regulations, families that receive government assistance usually pay 30 percent of their income for rent. Public housing agencies can charge up to $50 for rent. Unfortunately, if Carson’s proposal gets the green light from Congress then that number would raise monthly rent up to $150.
This increase would affect about 712,000 households receiving federal housing subsides. It looks like their targeting single mothers because they claim their the most neediest.
“The biggest group affected by the minimum rent increase are families with kids,” Barbara Sard, vice president for housing policy at the CBPP said. “It is the most unfair and most harmful. It’s where the dangers of eviction and homelessness are the gravest
Via:
”The typical household affected by the minimum rent increase would be a single mother of two, earning a median income of $2,400 a year — or $200 a month, Sard said. After paying $150 for rent, that would leave just $50 to stretch for the month for diapers, toiletries, bus fare and other necessities not covered by food stamps. About 460,000 households headed by single mothers would be impacted, Sard said.”
