A recently released report by the Urban Institute addresses what they believe are issues with Federal housing assistance programs under new proposals and the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—reporting only one in five renter households who qualify for housing assistance actually receive any. According to the research, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the administration’s proposed fiscal year 2018 budget are expected to hinder access to housing assistance, which is a safety net for low-income households. With millions of American households facing some type of housing instability, the report reveals that in 2015, 8.3 million renter households with low incomes lacked housing assistance and paid over 50 percent of their income for housing costs or lived in “severely inadequate” housing. In addition, 7 million people in low-income households were doubled up with family and friends—with another 1.5 million people experiencing homelessness.
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