BEN CARSON/CONGRESS/HUD/TRUMP PEOPLE: “HUD Secretary Ben Carson is backing off plans to triple the minimum rent paid by some of the country’s poorest households, citing Congress’ move to defy the administration and boost his agency’s budget. The proposal to increase the minimum rent paid by rental assistance beneficiaries is no longer ‘urgent,’ due to the additional resources in the HUD budget, Carson said Friday [6-8-18] morning. HUD in April released a rental assistance overhaul plan that would have hiked the rate paid by some recipients from $50 to $150…Congress has ignored the Trump administration’s requests to dramatically cut the department’s budget. The fiscal 2018 omnibus boosted funding by about 10 percent, and appropriations bills under consideration now would give HUD about $12 billion more than the White House requested for fiscal 2019. When he released the proposal — which would reshape the way 4.5 million people meet their rent by requiring recipients to contribute a greater share of their gross income or pay the higher minimum — Carson defended the decision. He said the current system creates ‘perverse incentives, including discouraging these families from earning more income and becoming self-sufficient.'”
-Katy O’Donnell, “Carson backs off plan to triple rents for poorest households,” Politico, June 8, 2018 2:37 pm