Replacing the federal housing voucher program with a state block grant would be a retreat from the nation's 54-year-old goal of "a decent home in a suitable living environment for every American family." Instead of resolving the fundamental dilemma of inadequate funding for affordable housing, a block grant would make housing hardship a state problem rather than a federal problem, and open the door to untested program changes that could undermine the proven strengths of the voucher approach.