More News - HOPE VI Reauthorization

House and Senate Committees Pushing Forward on HOPE VI
Reauthorization

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Orlando Cabrera testified in opposition to the reauthorization at both hearings.
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The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and the House Financial Services Committee held hearings on the HOPE VI program, which is set to expire on September 30, 2007. The HOPE VI program provides competitive grants to public housing authorities for the removal, rehabilitation, and construction of public housing units.

The hearings exposed key differences between the House and Senate approaches to reauthorization. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) is the sponsor of the Senate reauthorization bill (S. 829), which has bipartisan support from Senator Mel Martinez (RFL). While generally retaining the current HOPE VI requirements, the Senate bill would tie HOPE VI grants to new education goals. In the House, Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank (D-MA) expressed concern that the HOPE VI program is used to tear down more public housing than is rebuilt but expressed confidence that a one-for-one replacement requirement could be achieved. Chairman Frank hopes for a committee vote on a HOPE VI reauthorization bill sometime in July.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Public andIndian Housing Orlando Cabrera testified in opposition to the reauthorization at both hearings.

Housing Authorities Set to Receive an Increase in Section 8 Renewal
Funding

On June 18, HUD notified public housing agencies of their 2007 Housing Choice Voucher renewal funding provided under the Fiscal Year 2007 Continuing Resolution. Public housing agencies will receive a five percent increase, on average, over their program costs in 2006, adjusted for inflation. The increase can be used to serve additional families or to increase services to current families. More funding is available from HUD if a public housing agency can
certify that the FY 2007 funding is insufficient to fund their current vouchers. Information on how to apply for additional funds, if necessary, can be found at: http://www.hud.gov/utilities/intercept.cfm?/offices/pih/publications/notices/07/pih
2007-14.pdf.

Source: National League of Cities