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Hearings Examine HOPE VI Reauthorization
SENATE BILL LINKS HOUSING, EDUCATION
Committees in the House and Senate recently held hearings on reauthorization of the HOPE VI program. HOPE VI was created in the early 1990s to help communities replace deteriorated public housing and foster mixed-income neighborhoods. The program's current authorization is set to expire this year.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) introduced Senate legislation, S. 829, to reauthorize the program through 2013. The legislation would create a new requirement that HOPE VI projects partner with local schools to develop a comprehensive educational reform and achievement strategy. The bill, which has bipartisan support, also modifies some selection criteria.
Among those testifying were affordable housing developers Richard Barron and Jonathan Rose. Both lauded the program and pointed to the additional, private sector investment generated by HOPE VI. Researchers from the Urban Institute presented findings on improved safety and quality of life in HOPE VI neighborhoods. Some witnesses expressed concerns about the displacement of residents.
Leaders of the House Financial Services Committee plan to move House legislation later this summer. In the initial hearing on the issue, several members of the House Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), supported the program but said any reauthorization must include guarantees of "one-to-one" replacement for public housing.
