The following is a sample letter that you can send to your Congressional representative.  To access your representative's email, click here.  Then copy this letter and paste it in an email.  Thank you!

Dear Congressman,

I am writing to urge you to oppose House Resolution 1999, which would end the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and replace it with a new Flexible Voucher Program.  The provisions of the Flexible Voucher Program would be disastrous for people with disabilities – and particularly to those who rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. 

The Flexible Voucher Program would eliminate all targeting to the lowest-income households at or below 30 percent of median income.  This change would leave people with disabilities with extremely low incomes behind -- particularly people who rely on SSI payments equal to only 18 percent of area median income. The Housing Choice Voucher program’s current income targeting requirements have helped many extremely low income people with disabilities in my area obtain decent, safe and affordable housing in the community.

I am opposed to the changes proposed in the Flexible Voucher Program that would re-direct scarce federal housing resources to assist households with incomes as high as 60-80 percent of area median income.  Households at this income level already benefit from many other federal housing programs. The current Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program is the only program remaining in the “safety net” of federal housing programs for the almost 4 million people with the most severe disabilities who must survive on SSI payments of $600 per month or less.

In addition to ending targeting to the lowest income households, the Administration’s Flexible Voucher proposal has other provisions that would adversely affect people with disabilities in our community, including:

• People with disabilities could be required to pay much higher rents than they can afford.  Current rules limiting tenant rents to 30-40 percent of income would be eliminated.
• In direct opposition to federal fair housing laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act, PHAs would be permitted to adopt tenant selection policies that would have the effect of excluding some disability sub-populations in favor of others. These preferences would also have the potential to create highly segregated housing – a practice, which perpetuates stigma and housing discrimination.
• The Flexible Voucher Program legislation eliminates extremely valuable civil rights protections for people with disabilities.
• Provisions in the legislation that purport to protect current program participants with disabilities would expire in 2009 – only 3 ˝ years from now. Extremely low income people with disabilities should not be subject to higher tenant rent payments or lower housing subsidy amounts in order to cover budget shortfalls.

I urge you to reject this legislation, which will end one of the most successful and important federal housing programs.  We must fight to maintain the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program to ensure that people with disabilities with the lowest incomes continue to have access to decent, safe, and affordable housing of their choice in the community.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,