Senator Enzi on Duplication in Federal Housing Programs

During a roundtable to examine federal housing assistance programs this week, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming, who is the Senate Budget Committee Chairman, said the federal government’s current approach to housing assistance is falling short and Congress should initiate a review and take steps to improve the system.

Enzi noted that the federal government spends more than $50 billion per year on low-income housing assistance programs, guarantees $2 trillion in home loans, and provides billions more in assistance through the tax code. With half a million people homeless and given the significant amount we spend, he said there are still years-long waiting lists for public housing. Chairman Enzi said Congress needs to undertake a thorough review of the federal housing programs to see what works, and what doesn’t, so that there can be a better determination of what form those measures should take.