LeadingAge and 15 other members of the Preservation Working Group have jointly sent a letter to ask Congress to provide full funding for project-based rental assistance (PBRA) of no less than $10.9 billion to fund all contracts for 12 months, from January through December 2017.
This includes a request for an additional $85 million for the PBRA account because we disagree with HUD’s proposal to increase the medical expense deduction threshold from three percent to 10% of income, which the Administration projects will result in $85 million in savings for the PBRA account. This proposal would unfairly penalize elderly and disabled residents.
PWG members oppose HUD’s proposed increase in the medical expense deduction threshold unless it is accompanied by an increase to the standard deduction for households whose head, spouse, or sole member is 62 or older or has a disability. Otherwise, rent increases could be burdensome for those households with medical or related care costs of more than three percent, but less than 10 percent, of family income.