Schumer: HUD Failed to Make Section 8 Payments for NYC Buildings

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has failed to send out thousands of Section 8 checks for the month of August, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Monday.

Schumer said in a statement that as of Sept. 5, 43 buildings in New York City, covering 3,985 units, had not received their payments under the rental-assistance program, which provides housing vouchers for low-income families and senior citizens. Thirteen of the buildings, covering 1,947 units, are in Manhattan. Statewide, 96 buildings, encompassing 7,004 units, did not receive payments. The payments were supposed to be received by Aug. 1.

“It’s unconscionable that HUD would be so haphazard in its operations to jeopardize the living conditions of thousands of New York’s most vulnerable residents,” Schumer said in a statement. “Today, I’m calling on HUD to immediately release the withheld funds so housing units across the state will no longer be starved and can provide their tenants with top-notch accommodations.”

Schumer said that HUD had underestimated the yearly funding necessary for Section 8, leaving the department unable to fully fund the program. He cautioned that the missed payments would make it difficult for landlords to pay for mortgages, staffing, utilities, and maintenance.

Schumer and other Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee wrote a letter to HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson calling on the department to immediately take action to fund all property owners with Section 8 contracts, or, if it does not have the money to make the payments, to inform Congress of the amount of its shortfall for 2007, and how much money it would need to fund Section 8 contracts through 2008.

“Such funding disruptions are a serious breach of the commitment to honor the contracts between the federal government and the owners of these properties. More importantly, the intended beneficiaries—low-income elderly and families living in these properties—are at risk of losing their homes,” the letter said.

Erin Durkin can be reached at Erin.Durkin@columbiaspectator.com.