Legislative Matter

Miami-Dade Legislative Item
File Number: 070482

Printable PDF Format

Clerk's Official Copy

File Number: 070482

File Type: Resolution

Status: Adopted

Version: 0

Reference: R-156-07

Control:

File Name: SECTION 8 HOUSING

Introduced: 2/14/2007

Requester: NONE

Cost:

Final Action: 2/6/2007

Agenda Date: 2/6/2007

Agenda Item Number: 14A2

Notes:

THIS IS FINAL VERSION AS ADOPTED. (also see 070334)

Title:

RESOLUTION URGING CONGRESS TO VOTE AGAINST ANY LEGISLATION THAT CHANGES THE FUNDING FORMULA TO AND REDUCES FUNDING FOR THE SECTION 8 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM (''SECTION 8'') FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY [SEE ORIGINAL ITEM UNDER FILE NO. 070334]

Indexes:	LEGISLATURE
	SECTION 8

Sponsors:	Rebeca Sosa, Prime Sponsor
	Bruno A. Barreiro, Co-Sponsor
	Jose "Pepe" Diaz, Co-Sponsor
	Audrey M. Edmonson, Co-Sponsor
	Carlos A. Gimenez, Co-Sponsor
	Sally A. Heyman, Co-Sponsor
	Barbara J. Jordan, Co-Sponsor
	Joe A. Martinez, Co-Sponsor
	Dennis C. Moss, Co-Sponsor
	Dorrin D. Rolle, Co-Sponsor
	Natacha Seijas, Co-Sponsor
	Katy Sorenson, Co-Sponsor
	Sen. Javier D. Souto, Co-Sponsor

Sunset Provision: No

Effective Date:

Expiration Date:

Registered Lobbyist:

None Listed

Legislative History
Acting Body	Date	Agenda Item	Action	Sent To	Due Date	Returned	Pass/Fail

County Attorney	2/14/2007		Assigned	Terrence A. Smith		2/14/2007

Board of County Commissioners	2/6/2007	14A2 AMENDED	Adopted as amended				P
REPORT:	County Attorney Greenberg read the foregoing proposed resolution into the record. In response to Commissioner Moss’ request for information regarding the Section 8 Program, Ms. Kris Warren, Director, Miami-Dade Housing Agency, noted Congress was prepared to cut the County’s Section 8 budget by a total of $9.6 million. She explained that the $17.9 million reflected as excess dollars in MDHA accounts was noted in the Miami Herald article and reported to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in error. Ms. Warren stated no excess cash existed in the MDHA bank account. Pertaining to Commissioner Jordan’s inquiry regarding whether Congress had revised the amount of the budget cut, Ms. Warren stated the County would correct the numbers in the financial management system. County Manager George Burgess confirmed that no changes had been made regarding the Quality Neighborhood Improvement Project (QNIP) process in terms of identifying projects for approval. There being no further questions or comments, the Board voted to adopt the foregoing resolution as amended to insert the following language to Section 1: “…changes the funding formula to and reduces funding to the Section 8 Program for Miami-Dade County"; and to delete the provisions in Section 2 relating to "....the United States Congress enacting legislation to increase funding to the Section 8 program....."

Legislative Text

TITLE
RESOLUTION URGING CONGRESS TO VOTE AGAINST ANY LEGISLATION THAT CHANGES THE FUNDING FORMULA TO AND REDUCES FUNDING FOR THE SECTION 8 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM (�SECTION 8�) FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

BODY
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2007, the United State House of Representatives voted in support of a bill that, if enacted, will cut Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (�Section 8�)funding to housing authorities located within the State of Florida by approximately $28 million; and
WHEREAS, Section 8 program funding to Miami-Dade County, which is one of the largest public housing authorities in the State of Florida, would be cut by $9.7 million; and
WHEREAS, affordable housing has reached a crisis in our community and communities around the nation; and
WHEREAS, the Section 8 is the leading source of federal housing assistance for extremely low-income families; and
WHEREAS, two-thirds of Section 8 housing vouchers issued in any year go to families with children, with the remainder predominantly going to people with disabilities and the elderly; and
WHEREAS, nearly one million families with children are currently served by the voucher program, almost twice the number of families with children in the public housing program; and
WHEREAS, Section 8 provides one way to help low and moderate income individuals and families obtain adequate housing; and
WHEREAS, the proposed cuts will have a significant negative impact upon these individuals and families and will attribute further to the affordable housing crisis in Miami-Dade County,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the United States Congress to vote against any legislation that changes the funding formula to and reduces funding for the Section 8 program for Miami-Dade County;
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the members of the Miami-Dade County Congressional Delegation.
Section 3. Directs the County's federal lobbyists to advocate for the passage of the legislation set forth in Section 1 above, and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2007 Federal Legislative Package.