Uncertainty surrounding the future of federal funding is impacting the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program at the Fall River Housing Authority.
Executive Director Kevin Sbardella says the agency receives approximately $25 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Section 8 program. Voucher claims have outpaced the amount of money HUD is making available to the program. As the Trump administration and Congress weigh cuts in the upcoming federal budget, concerns have risen.
The Housing Authority is taking proactive measures to keep as many city residents as possible protected from any cuts. It has announced that it is pausing the issuing of new Section 8 vouchers and is asking landlords who accept them to defer any rent increases until further notice.
The Housing Authority has issued approximately 2,000 Section 8 vouchers, and those on the waiting list for one may have to wait upwards of nine years to receive it.
Mr. Sbardella says once a voucher is issued, residents have 60 days to find an apartment. In the face of limited housing supply and budget constraints, those who currently possess a voucher face the pressure to find a home.
Mr. Sbardella has been an employee of the Housing Authority for over 30 years and says for the first time, if funding is cut, drastic measures may need to be activated, including the revocation of current Section 8 vouchers.
