Congress is working to get the Budget Reconciliation, Appropriations and several other legislative efforts completed before the Summer recess. Today, I would like to step into the warm end of the pond and raise a topic which is discussed frequently in Washington, Section 8. We are rightfully concerned that targeting changes will mean less very very low income households working and not working will be served. This morning I once again heard the example in Chicago of vouchering out public housing in a market where families find it difficult to use their vouchers. Another new friend told me that if it wasn't for vouchers in her community households would be homeless.
All stories are true.
It is time for us to start a national dialogue not about how bad vouchers are in some places but how to make them work effectively and of their value to Governors and communities as a tool in the challenge to improve neighborhoods, integrate communities and make welfare reform truly possible. I challenge each of us to begin to join together and put the same energy into making the voucher and certificate programs effective as we have for the continuation of McKinney, renewal of Section 8, maintenance of funding for 202 and 811, continuation of tax credits, provisions for services in housing and the 20 or so other critical issues. Those in Washington focus on the issues discussed in your communities. So let's start a dialogue. A couple of places to begin the conversation, for me, are who administers the voucher and certificate program, the critical isolating and negative impact of lowering the FMR to the 40th percentile a couple of years ago and the potential of using vouchers and certificates for home ownership known as Empowerment Vouchers in the recent Administration proposals.