US congressional funding fights take toll on housing aid programs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats in the U.S. Congress fended off some of the deepest cuts to housing and other social safety net programs sought by Republicans, but low-income Americans will nonetheless feel the brunt of reductions that were included in a new law. Washington’s efforts to address the availability of affordable dwellings for low-income families and rid aging structures of dangerous lead-paint contamination suffered funding setbacks in legislation enacted earlier this month as part of a wide-ranging government spending measure. As soon as Sunday, congressional leaders could unveil a deal...