by Daniel Denvir
Philadelphia CityPaper

Federal rollbacks, slashing funding to Philly housing programs by a third, could be devastating for low-income homeowners.

One hundred forty miles away, in Washington, D.C., Republicans in Congress last month congratulated themselves on hammering out a conservative fiscal 2012 budget — a victory that entailed deep cuts to spending on urban and social issues. But here in Philadelphia those same cuts have sent programs that shelter the homeless, help the poor and people with disabilities repair and retrofit their homes, and assist residents facing foreclosure spiraling into crisis.

In next year’s budget, there will be far less money to meet a growing need for housing-related services, which could mean a mushrooming number of homes that will leak and crumble, and a boom in the homeless population due to increased foreclosures. Funding provided by the stimulus package has also largely run out.

“It’s going to be tough,” says Michelle Lewis, president of Northwest Counseling Service, which assists Philadelphians facing foreclosure. “A reduction in staff. A reduction in resources available to help the residents. That’s going to be determined agency by agency. For many, it will put them out of business. For us, it won’t put us out of business, but it will have a devastating impact.”

Read the full article at CityPaper.net