Velázquez Fights to Protect Housing Opportunities for New York City Residents

Velázquez Fights to Protect Housing Opportunities for New York City Residents

Yesterday, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, the senior New York Member of the Housing Subcommittee, was successful in ensuring New York City families have access to safe, affordable public housing options during consideration of the FY 2007 Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development (TTHUD) Appropriations Bill. In addition to forging an agreement with the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for government subsidized housing programs, to address the funding shortfalls at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), Congresswoman Velázquez also co-sponsored a measure with Jerrold Nadler (NY-8), to restore $70 million in funding for a critical housing program - the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

"Every American deserves to live in safe, decent, affordable housing - yet, year after year the need to fill this gap goes unaddressed," Congresswoman Velázquez said. "Between inadequate funding for programs such as Section 8, to existing difficulties that prevent NYCHA from assisting all those in need of public housing assistance, something needs to be done. I am confident that the agreement, and measure, that were passed yesterday are a step forward to solving, not only our City's housing crisis, but also this nation's."

As the largest public housing agency in the country, NYCHA serves over 400,000 families in New York City. However, the agency has faced a $168 million shortfall, largely due to a lack of flexibility in how it can use the funding. Congresswoman Velázquez secured an agreement from Chairman Joseph Knollenberg (R- MI) to work together to provide solutions that will alleviate NYCHA's existing funding constraints, and allow the agency to provide more assistance and better service to all those in need of public housing.

While the need for adequate housing programs only continues to grow, federal funding for housing vouchers in the Section 8 program has dwindled. In fact, 73,000 fewer families have been assisted through the program - and less than a third of low income households eligible for the vouchers, receive any federal housing assistance. Funding for the Section 8 initiative fell $144 million under the President's request this year, only compounding New York City's housing problem where there are already nearly 123,000 families on the waiting list for the Section 8 program. Congresswoman Velázquez's amendment restores $70 million for Section 8, providing vouchers for approximately 10,000 families - helping to ensure that residents across the City have access to safe, decent housing.

"The Section 8 program is a lifeline for millions of families struggling to make ends meet and end the cycle of poverty so common in low-income communities," Congresswoman Velázquez said. "A number of residents have been on waiting lists for upwards of ten years now - at some point, these families need to see relief. We cannot turn our backs on families that are working against the odds to achieve more for their children - the passage of this measure ensures that these mothers and fathers have what they need in order to provide a safe and decent home for their families."

http://www.house.gov/velazquez/PressReleases/2006/pr061506.htm