Providing For Consideration of H.R. 1851, Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007

Floor Speech

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1851, SECTION 8 VOUCHER REFORM ACT OF 2007

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Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the gentlelady for yielding, and also for your leadership, and for bringing together today a very fair rule.

I rise in strong support of this rule and in strong support of this bill, the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007. And I want to commend, first of all, our committee chairman, Mr. Frank, and our subcommittee chairwoman, Congresswoman Waters, for their leadership and for their hard work in crafting this bill.

As a former member of the Financial Services Committee, actually a member of Congresswoman Waters' Subcommittee on Housing, I had the opportunity to work with my colleagues on earlier versions of this bill, and this end product contains many important updated provisions. For example, this bill permits families to use housing vouchers as a down payment on a first-time home purchase. The goal of home ownership is necessary to help stabilize family units, promote gainful employment, and restore pride and dignity to many low-income families. It is the primary path to wealth accumulation in America for ordinary folks who don't have stock accounts and who can't play in the stock market and on Wall Street. It's the way to achieve the American Dream for most folks in America. And so home ownership is extremely important, and this bill offers that opportunity.

It also offers a number of changes that protect and benefit tenants. Examples include the portability provisions that preserve voucher families' ability to move to other areas as they determine. They deserve that right and should be able to do that. It provides for more accurate and fair market rent calculation. And it also protects voucher holders in units that are in need of repairs.

Section 8 housing vouchers provide the security of affordable housing to many low-income families, the elderly, people with disabilities, and others who need this type of rental assistance. This leads to stronger families and safer communities, and it does prevent homelessness.

There is a housing crisis in America. This bill is a major step forward in addressing it.

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