Unless changes in how the federal government funds rent assistance programs are stopped, many low-income Mainers could find themselves out on the streets.

Bottom line: The Bush administration has decided that it no longer wants to support housing assistance for the poor at the same levels that have been supported in the past.

The number of people who need help hasn’t gone down; the number of people waiting for assistance is still high. The money, however, is being used for other priorities, including tax cuts.

Through a public relations campaign launched by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the administration has tried to obscure what it’s up to. It’s not politically feasible to say, “We want to cut funding for programs and toss families out on the street.”

But that’s exactly what could happen.

In April, HUD announced a freeze in rent assistance at the August 2003 level, with about a 1 percent inflation adjustment. For many local housing authorities in Maine, the decision came late and puts them in a real pinch.

The new policy for funding Section 8 housing vouchers shortchanges organizations like the Lewiston and Auburn housing authorities and doesn’t provide enough money to keep all of its current vouchers active. Further, it was made retroactive to Jan. 1, even though it wasn’t issued until April. The rules have changed on money that has already been spent.

Such Draconian rule changes were not intended by Congress, according to Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, who have joined with a bipartisan group of senators trying to reverse the ruling.

Additionally, in the administration’s 2005 budget, Section 8 faces a cut of about 12 percent, leaving the program $1.6 billion short of funding for its current number of vouchers.

HUD tries to shift blame for the cuts onto local housing authorities, saying their spending has gotten out of hand. But the claim doesn’t hold up. Using the agency’s own rating system for judging quality, Maine’s local housing authorities are classified as high performers with scores of 90 or better. The national average is 89 percent.

An estimated 2 million low-income families in the U.S. – 12,000 in Maine – count on Section 8. In Lewiston, more than 1,250 families receive vouchers, while the number in Auburn is about 590. Both cities have long waiting lists of people who qualify but must wait for help.

Section 8 vouchers go to families with incomes below the poverty level. In Lewiston, 75 percent of applicants have family incomes of 30 percent of the poverty level or less. For a family of four, that translates to less than $15,000 a year. Families pay 30 percent of their income toward rent. The vouchers pay the rest.

Many aid recipients in this area are elderly and disabled and live on fixed and limited income.

In the words of one housing authority executive, the situation is maddening.

Of 2,600 public housing authorities around the country, about 800 will be forced to break contracts with local landlords. In St. Paul, Minn., 2,000 families face eviction and homelessness. Lewiston and Auburn hope to survive the immediate challenge through attrition. When a family leaves the program, others who are eligible won’t be added.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, HUD has about $200 million appropriated by Congress for 2004 available. But the agency refuses to reverse its policy.

HUD’s actions and the administration’s proposed budget cuts for rent assistance hurt the country’s most vulnerable residents and threaten some with homelessness. The incentive for developers to build low-income housing is reduced, and public housing authorities lose credibility with landlords.

This must not be allowed to stand.

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