Program for Section 8 housing gets less money

Billings, Montana – The Section 8 low-income housing program has seen hundreds of thousands of dollars cut by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

“There’s a few different reasons as to why,” said Trina Swafford, the Director of Section 8 in Billings at HomeFront.

“You had landlords that perhaps hadn’t been paid in how long because of a moratorium, and somebody comes in and says they like the house, and offer to sell it, for whatever reason.”

Inquiring about the money that were withheld, we contacted HUD.

“By working together, we can keep these federal dollars in our local economy and help ensure that everyone has access to affordable housing,” said Angelo Dalmacio, the Public Affairs Officer for HUD.

“As HomeFront Partners has acknowledged, the key to reducing these offsets is to encourage greater participation in the program by local landlords.”