Ben Carson Forced to Implement Obama Rule at HUD

HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson is being forced by a court to implement a new rule that will give more than 200,000 low-income families in 24 cities significantly improved access to housing in high-income neighborhoods. The rule was crafted by the Obama administration, and a court ordered the Trump administration to enforce it. The policy attempts to resolve a seeming defect in HUD’s housing voucher program: that vouchers are worth the same amount across an entire region. The Intercept breaks it down as such: it means most voucher holders can’t afford to move into wealthier neighborhoods because their subsidy isn’t large enough to cover rent. Landlords in poor neighborhoods can, in turn, price gouge voucher holders, who have nowhere else to go. The new rule requires public housing authorities to alter the way they calculate rent subsidies, effectively making vouchers worth more in affluent areas and less in poorer communities. More here.