Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006
TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THE JUDICIARY, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006 -- (House of Representatives - June 29, 2005)
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Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to join my colleague in offering an amendment that would restore funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOPE VI program. Created in 1992 by former Secretary Jack Kemp and President Bush, this program offers to renovate existing public housing sites and replace them with new mixed-income housing.
This grant program has been remarkably successful in its revitalizing of some of the most troubled and distressed communities. We have all seen these conditions that exist in public housing developments throughout the Nation: dilapidated buildings and homes, rampant rodent and insect infestation, barely functioning plumbing, and sometimes sewage that flows into our children's playgrounds, with high rates of violence and crime. These are the conditions that have overtaken too many of our public housing facilities, the very same conditions in which too many families are struggling to live and to raise their children.
This program is aptly named because hope is exactly what these grants supply to our communities. I can speak firsthand of the outstanding results of this program I have seen in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Bradenton, areas that have been completely revitalized as a result of HOPE VI.
For example, in Bradenton Village the successful partnership between Federal and local governments, as well as the private sector, has restored and revitalized a community that years ago was left crumbling and suffering. Today, Bradenton Village is a vibrant and thriving area and a testament to the success of the HOPE VI grant program.
That success is not limited to Florida programs; it has been remarkable and responsible for rebuilding substandard housing and replacing them with quality affordable housing across the country. It is not just about bricks and mortar. By creating more options, giving consumers more and better choices in housing, education, job training and job placement, HOPE VI grants transform lives.
Our amendment, which I am so pleased to offer with the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) who has been a stalwart friend and supporter of housing programs, will ensure that Hope VI can continue to deliver on its promises.
The Davis-Harris amendment seeks to restore $60 million to the Hope VI program so it can continue its mission of revitalizing communities across America. $60 million is a far cry from the funding Hope VI has received in the past, but it is enough to keep the program going and keep hope alive, and we can continue to make a difference in our local communities.
Let us invest in Hope VI and invest in the strength and possibilities of our communities. I urge my colleagues to support the Davis-Harris amendment. Let us keep hope alive.
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