House Passes HOPE VI Public Housing Improvement

Today the House passed H.R. 3524, HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act, by a vote of 271-130. HOPE VI is a valuable program which revitalizes severely distressed and obsolete public housing projects. In HOPE VI projects, every government dollar has leveraged at least two private sector dollars, and these projects have been credited with helping transform and revitalize communities across the country. Since its establishment in 1992, the HOPE VI Revitalization Grant program has awarded 237 grants to 127 cities.

Improvements in this reauthorization include a requirement that all public housing units proposed for demolition be replaced on a one-for-one basis. This provision is particularly needed because more than 30,000 public housing units have been lost as a direct result of HOPE VI grants made under rules that do not require one-for-one replacement. This bill also expands tenant protections and housing opportunities for those who have been displaced, requires that all replacement housing as part of a HOPE VI project be built in accordance with the national Green Communities criteria checklist or a substantially equivalent standard, and provides for the active involvement and participation of residents in the grant planning process, including public hearings and notifications.

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Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-35), the bill's chief sponsor, spoke in favor:

Rep. Waters: "Public housing residents, including those not yet impacted by Hope VI, and housing advocates have siad that this bill has been a long time in coming, and I agree with them. I would like to note why the bill before us today is so important. First, it preserves public housing. The Administration eliminated the one-for-one replacement requirement in 1996, effectively triggering a national slugging off of our nation's public housing inventory. Housing authorities have consistently built back fewer units than they have torn down and as a result over 30,000 units have been lost as a direct result of the Hope VI program. Stopping this bleeding was paramount in the drafting of this legislation. "

Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-05) spoke in favor:

Rep. Ellison: "This reauthorization of Hope VI is long overdue. In the 5th Congressional District and in the city of Minneapolis alone, my local housing authority has estimated that they need over $205 million just to maintain 5,883 public housing units at only a fair condition. Again, let me repeat this, my district needs $205 million to keep these public housing units from falling below basic standards. The backlog of units is in desperate need of refurbishment and rehabilitation, and this is the result of seven years of neglect of public infrastructure. This is why I urge all my colleagues to vote for this bill, by passing H.R. 3524 we move a step closer to recognizing the right for all citizens."