In the Borough with the Highest Rent Burdens, Section 8 Keeps Families Afloat
In our recent blog post, Section 8 at Stake in Sequestration, we drew attention to the threat to federal Section 8 subsidies. The most recent Housing & Vacancy Survey data shows that the Bronx would be hit hard by cuts to this program.
The west and south Bronx would be hit hard by cuts to Section 8. 24% of households in Community District 5 receive Section 8.
We first wrote about the Bronx’s dependence on Section 8 and the threat cuts would pose in our 2005 affordable housing report “Rising Values in a Highly Subsidized Market.” At that time, 9% of Bronx households received Section 8. Now, 13% of households do.
In Community District 5, where over half of all residents pay more than 50% of their income on rent, an additional 24% of households receive Section 8.