HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan says Congress should work on passing comprehensive housing reform that would offer more low-income American families a chance of renting or owning homes. (0:26)
By Aaron Richardson-Talk Radio News Service
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan testified in front the House Financial Services Committee thursday about the need for legislation to assist low income Americans with their housing issues.
“Today there are less than 3 units for every 4 low income households and only half the number needed for families who live in extreme poverty.” said Donovan.
Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) spoke candidly during the hearing about the hardships that many veterans face when it comes to inadequate housing.
“ As more and more of our troops come and try to acclimate back to their communities we as government must make sure that they have a home to come home to and provide that assistance.”
During the hearing, Sec. Donovan recommended extending fully funded section 8 contracts for twelve months,increasing federal funding for housing vouchers. Sec. Donovan also described some of the downfalls that HUD has faced in the past, saying, “Too often HUD’s policies and practices get in the way of preservation efforts instead of supporting them, that is going to change.”
By Courtney Costello- Talk Radio News Service
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) held a hearing Tuesday to propose the Sustainable Communities Partnership. This partnership includes Secretary of Transportation (DOT), Ray LaHood, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Shaun Donovan, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson.
The objective of the new alliance will be to publicize efforts to improve affordable housing, promote efficient and low cost transportation options, and to protect the environment during these changes. A $150 million dollar sustainable communities initiative will help fund the partnership.
“As the Chairman said, we need to synchronize climate change, energy, community development, housing and transportation policy in the most comprehensive way possible,” said Secretary Donovan. “Creating an office of sustainable housing and communities inside HUD to serve as a single point of contact with other federal agencies is the best way we can achieve that goal.”
The committee also stated that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will provide momentum with the $1.5 billion discretionary Tiger Grant program. This program will fund the Transportation Act that will promote sustainability and provide better transportation in rural and urban communities around the country.
The proposed program details six principles that will serve as the base for the agencies to work together. These include producing supplementary transportation options, advancing sustainable and affordable housing, increasing economic opportunities, revitalizing current communities, organizing funding and policies and enriching all communities.
Dr. Dennis Culhane from the University of Pennsylvania says the typical homeless family consists of a mother and two children. He says the children are likely to be under six, saying this speaks to a woman’s opportunity in the labor market due to day care. He also says a disproportionate number of families are African-American. (0:40)
Mark Johnston from the Office of Community Planning and Development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development says HUD’s 2007 homeless assessment showed a 30 percent drop in chronic homelessness. He says a reduction of homelessness in the hardest to reach population in the United States is stunning. (0:51)
Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) testified in a hearing for the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. He said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) needs to get its priorities in order and produce the National Disaster Housing Strategy, which was due in July 2007 as part of the Post-Katrina Reform Act of 2006. He said that 5,741 families still living in temporary housing units provided by FEMA.
He said that The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been diverting funds that were necessary for reconstruction in Mississippi. Thompson said that the Governor of Mississippi redistributed $600 Million of HUD money that was appropriated for building low to middle income housing and diverted it towards a project towards port expansion. Thompson said that this is one of the major problems facing Mississippi, along with the fact that there are only 1,500 available rental properties statewide.
He said that we must hold federal agencies accountable for their mistakes, especially when they endanger the health of disaster victims.
At the Senate Appropriations Committee, Joint Subcommittee meeting on “Homeless Veterans,” Senator Patty Murray(D-WA) said when our country fails to live up to obligations to our veterans, there is a result of high rates of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and chronic unemployment, and all of these are contributing factors to homelessness. Experts estimate that 1 in 4 of all the nation’s homeless are veterans. Our veterans are heroes, she said, and we must ensure that they never reach the point of homelessness. Women veterans are the fastest growing group of homeless veterans, and we must ensure that the Veteran’s Administration evolves along with the needs of the veterans that it is serving, but HUD (Housing and Urban Development) must take steps to promote affordable housing. (more…)
The House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity held a hearing concerning foreclosure prevention and sound mortgage servicing.
The committee interrogated a panel of governmental housing program leaders including Laura Maggiano, Deputy Director of the Office of Single Family Asset Management at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Maggiano defended HUD’s assistance to families unable to finance their homes amid strong criticism from each congressional representative at the hearing, particularly Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA).
Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) told the panel that with our country experiencing “approximately 20,000 foreclosures a week” that we have“more than a casual problem”. (more…)
Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, held a press conference this morning announcing his withdrawal from the office. Due to “personal and family matters”, April 18 will be the Secretary’s last day in office. In his statement, Secretary Jackson mentioned his achievements during the seven years in office and expressed his gratuity to the President for giving him the chance to “make America a better place to live.” Directly after the Conference, the Secretary left the room without responding to any questions. (02:14)
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) criticizing Secretary Alphonso Jackson at Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs hearing on oversight of H.U.D. program and its fiscal year 2009 budget. (1:02)
