Do Not Panic About TANF Cuts. Right.

While I somewhat flippantly but brilliantly illustrated the EDD epidemic last week, I missed a big story — the slashing of TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), aka “welfare,” that has been unfolding, albeit rather quietly. It took one email from a beleaguered Tina to jar me back into furious futile frustration.

This mother of a newborn, with five other little boys, had her TANF cut from a pathetic $423 a month to $277. What?

How could one person, much less seven, survive on $277 a month? More to the point, how do we allow this to happen? New Mexico and other states have begun reducing TANF pittances to outrageous levels. Do not panic. Right.

Sure, Tina and her boys get a “generous” housing allowance, but it is slated to be done next month. They get food stamps and medical benefits. And with any luck she’ll get WIC (Women Infants Children) so maybe she will have formula and baby food. But really, $277? I imagine that barely covers the cost of diapers.

With all the tax benefits for the rich hoopla in Congress, some of us missed the current and projected budget slashing to ravage the already-ravaged, like Tina and her boys. The Center on Budget and Priority didn’t miss it, and gave a scathing overview of what this latest round of cuts means. “… with the need for emergency and temporary assistance (including help finding work) at their highest levels in decades, more low-income parents will go without jobs, more homeless families will go without shelter, fewer low-wage workers will receive help with child care expenses, and fewer families involved with the child welfare system will receive preventive services.”

It takes nothing at all for me to be furious at both parties, and our President, for throwing the poor under the bus. “The Poor.” They have faces. They have names. They have basic human needs. And some soon-to-be House committee leaders are sharpening their cleavers to wreak havoc on these largely powerless families. Heh, heh, let’s stick it to the poor who don’t vote anyhow…think of the money we can save cutting food stamps, TANF, and housing subsidies.

In the meantime, Tina’s family’s clock is ticking. Her stimulus funded housing assistance is over in January. She owes another housing authority about $5,250, so she’s not eligible for further housing assistance. For the past 400 days or so she’s faced the brutal reality that leaving her abusive spouse meant possible homelessness. She and the boys lived for months in a cramped 13’ camper — hot, cold, uncomfortable, ridiculous, and unnecessary. She qualified for Homeless Prevention and Rehousing Program (HPRP), and since then has panicked because she can't come up with five grand to remove the barrier for further housing assistance.

The underlying issue that glares at me — how do we let families tumble into homelessness when they’ve exhibited determination, like Tina, to provide for their kids? It’s bad enough when abuse/neglect comes into play, but that doesn’t appear to be the case here. The human cost and the overall expense of pushing them into homelessness is senseless.

Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima, a decent guy from my contacts with him, oversees the Las Cruces Housing Authority. He could urge the Housing Authority to allow for mitigating circumstances with regard to Tina, and grant her a reprieve. He expressed annoyance at getting all the emails from Change.org petitioners. I’m more than annoyed that we need to do this in the first place.

Look at Tina’s family Christmas picture. Can you see them on the streets? Me either. So petition away. You can add a message to Mayor Ken that lets him know we’re serious about this.

Seems to me welfare checks should come with panic buttons connected to the recipient’s federal, state and local legislators. They should get to share the panic-filled pain when a parent is staring at homelessness.

Photo credit: Diane Nilan