Federal Budget Doesn’t Do Enough for Low-Income Programs
The 2016 appropriations bill enacted last year placed a low priority on programs that assist low-income Americans, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The report finds that low-income programs such as rental assistance, job training, and education for disadvantaged students received less than half the average funding increase given to other federal programs. This disparity is largely a result of low funding increases for the Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, and Housing & Urban Development compared to other agencies, according to the report. The authors argue that Congress must prioritize low-income programs in the 2017 budget agreement, particularly those aimed at reducing homelessness.