[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 11 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S523-S524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SENIOR CITIZENS HOUSING SAFETY ACT

 Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, on January 23, 1996, the Senate 
passed S. 1494, a bill extending several housing programs through 
October 1, 1996. I am pleased the Senate included in this bill language 
I developed in my legislation, S. 247, the Senior Citizens Safety Act 
of 1995. I am hopeful that the President will match the tough anti-
crime rhetoric conveyed in his State of the Union Address, and sign 
this legislation when it arrives on his desk.
  This legislation will end the terror that, unfortunately, runs 
rampant throughout many elderly housing projects. It offers both local 
public housing facilities [PHA] and local property owners with the 
power to screen out and evict from public and assisted housing persons 
who illegally use drugs and whose abuse of alcohol is a risk to other 
tenants.
  In my home State of New Hampshire, most people are still afforded the 
luxury of not having to lock their front doors before turning in for 
the evening. However, many elderly residents of public housing 
facilities in my State and across America have been forced to not only 
lock their front doors, but are literally being held prisoner in their 
own homes. I believe this is outrageous. I have received numerous 
complaints from residents of elderly housing facilities throughout New 
Hampshire who are worried about their personal safety in housing 
specifically reserved for them.
  While community policing has gone a long way toward making many of 
America's neighborhoods safe for its elderly residents. No longer will 
people residing in public housing facilities be allowed to harass, 
shake down, or intimidate their elderly neighbors. Our elderly 
population remains vulnerable, and I am pleased the Senate has taken 
this action which will help protect them.
  Our housing laws must protect elderly residents. Currently, non-
elderly persons, considered disabled because of past drug and alcohol 
abuse problems, are eligible to live in housing designated for the 
elderly. This mixing of populations may have filled up the housing 
projects across the country, but it has opened a Pandora's box of 
trouble. Simply put, Young, recovering 

[[Page S524]]
alcoholics and drug addicts are not comparable with elderly persons. 
Many of these young people hold all night, loud parties, shake down 
many of the elderly residents for money, sell drugs within the housing 
facility, and generally disturb the right to the peaceful enjoyment of 
the premises by other tenants.
  This legislation, by no means, circumvents the current housing 
eviction procedure. It simply mandates that these individuals with 
patterns of drug and alcohol abuse be evicted after one incident if it 
is determined by the local PHA that their behavior threatens the 
health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other 
tenants.
  This legislation will help to restore order in housing projects 
throughout the country. It requires tenants to embrace personal 
responsibility by mandating tenants to sign a statement which says no 
person who will be occupying the unit set aside for the elderly will 
illegally use a controlled substance or abuse alcohol in any way. 
Additionally, the bill will allow the local PHA to evict those persons 
who continuously raise havoc within these housing projects.
  I want to commend the Senate for its action in passing this important 
legislation. It will make our public housing facilities safe for our 
most vulnerable citizens, the elderly.

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