Issue Position: Housing

Issue Position

Standing Up for Main Street, Not Wall Street

In response to mortgage crisis, Senator Mikulski has pushed for greater assistance to homeowners in need, and the organizations working to empower them:

* Held two housing roundtables with homeowners and housing experts at non-profit community groups to brainstorm how Congress could help families.
* Secured funding for additional legal aid for organizations helping families in need.
* Looking for congressional alternatives to ease the burden on families struggling with mortgage crisis, including riding utility and fixed costs.

Restoring Hope to Public Housing

Senator Mikulski is leading the fight to transform public housing into livable communities:

* Created HOPE VI program to improve living conditions for residents of public housing by replacing distressed high-rise units with low-rise, mixed income communities.
*
o Goals of HOPE VI are to change the physical shape of public housing, establish incentives for resident empowerment, lessen concentrations of poverty, and forge public-private partnerships.
* Championed putting computer centers in public housing so residents can learn new skills.

Fighting the Scams and Scum

Senator Mikulski working against flipping and predatory lending:

* Brought the issue to national attention with series of hearings, including a field hearing in Baltimore in March 2000.
* Worked with HUD to establish the Baltimore Flipping Task Force and make Baltimore a laboratory for fighting housing scams nationwide.
* Advocated FHA reforms to protect homebuyers by restructuring mortgages, repair credit histories, restrict points and fees and provide mortgage counseling. Holding HUD's feet to the fire to implement and monitor reforms.
* Directed HUD to identify unscrupulous lenders and eliminate them from federal housing programs.
* Fought for senior staff oversight over flipping and predatory lending relief programs at HUD.
* Secured $5 million in federal funding to help victims of flipping in Baltimore restructure mortgages, get counseling and financial advice and help communities overcome the blight caused by flipping and foreclosures.

Fulfilling Federal Promises

As the former Ranking Democrat of the Senate Appropriations Subcommitee that funds the Department Housing & Urban Development, Senator Mikulski fought for funding of housnig and community development programs:

* Restored $550 million in federal funds for repairs and rehabilitation of again public housing.
* Increased resources available for elderly housing from $660 million to $783 million over the last four years.
* Reversed budget cuts to permanent housing for the disabled homeless.

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