[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1496-E1497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
             INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 1998

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under

[[Page E1497]]

     consideration the bill (H.R. 4194) making appropriations for 
     the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban 
     Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, 
     commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 1999, and for other purposes:


  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, for the past five years I have 
struggled with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help 
the citizens of Houston. Houston is the fourth largest city--yet for a 
long time, they have lacked a full service HUD office. Out of the ten 
largest metropolitan areas, Houston was the only one without a fully 
serviceable HUD office.
  Over the past five years I have worked with HUD and have received 
various verbal commitments and assurances that Houston would receive 
the necessary HUD staff and programs to be an effective agency to help 
the citizens of Houston. We've made some progress, but we still have a 
ways to go.
  In past years, I have considered offering an amendment to this bill 
to require better HUD service for Houston residents. This year I will 
again try to work with the agency to ensure proper services for the 
city. This would include establishing an Office of Community Planning 
and Development, which would provide technical assistance and 
monitoring of state and local entities receiving federal funding to 
assist with elderly and disabled housing loans, CDBG, and funds for 
Houston's Enhanced Enterprise Community. This service is particularly 
important because of the city's growing population. Unfortunately, 
because there is no full service HUD office in the city, quality 
housing opportunities have not keep pace with the growth.
  When I go back to my district and I talk with seniors, families and 
local officials, one of their greatest concerns is housing for the 
elderly. No one wants to see our elderly without shelter. An Office of 
Community Planning and Development would aid the citizens of Houston to 
gain access and administer funds to renovate, locate, and build elderly 
housing. This office also oversees funding and provides technical 
assistance to our Enhanced Enterprise Community.
  HUD came up with a good idea to provide funds to local governments to 
help their economically disadvantaged areas through Empowerment Zones 
and Enterprise Communities.
  Through tax breaks to businesses and access to federal funds and a 
plan drawn up by local communities, HUD hoped to revitalize 
disadvantaged areas. Houston has an Enhanced Enterprise Community, and 
we have access to two hundred million dollars to help revitalize parts 
of Houston. It would be a shame to see that money go to waste without 
proper support and assistance by HUD.
  The nearest HUD office that offers this service is in Ft. Worth 
Texas, which is over two hundred miles away. My constituents have had 
to call to Ft. Worth to get someone from CPD to come down to Houston to 
check out a faulty foundation. Most of the time the response from Ft. 
Worth is that they don't have the money in their budget for travel or 
they have to wait for years for a response.
  The citizens of Houston deserve better than having to call HUD in Ft. 
Worth, which is over 200 miles away, to get an inspector who can not 
travel because of budgetary constraints.
  I still do not understand why the fourth largest city in the nation 
does not have all the HUD programs to serve its citizens.
  When we first started looking into upgrading the Houston HUD field 
office, we received assurances from former Secretary Cisneros and now 
Secretary Cuomo that the Houston office would receive all available 
programs.
  Without these offices who is going to monitor these programs, who is 
going to check for fraud, waste, and abuse. Who is going to help the 
citizens of Houston provide for their housing needs. If this critical 
change isn't made soon, I am concerned that more residents will be 
denied services they are entitled to.
  While I am not offering an amendment this year, I am looking forward 
to working with the committee and administration to see that this issue 
can finally be resolved.

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