[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 6, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PUBLIC HOUSING DRUG ELIMINATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 6, 2003

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, today I offer the Public Housing Drug 
Elimination Act of 2003 on behalf of myself and 71 original co-
sponsors.
  We have been fighting to reauthorize this HUD program as well as 
appropriate money to the program for a long time. As a matter of fact, 
on July 10, 2002, I offered an amendment to the Housing Affordability 
Act for America, authorizing the Public Housing Drug Elimination 
Program (PHDEP) through 2005.
  Despite the drug elimination program's widespread success and the 
bipartisan support, President Bush eliminated funding for the program 
in the Fiscal Year 2003 budget and has again zeroed out funding for the 
program in his Fiscal Year 2004 (FY04) budget. We must understand that 
programs like drug elimination ease the strain on public housing's 
capital improvement and maintenance funds. Programs like drug 
elimination protect the elderly, who compose one-third of all residents 
who live in public housing, working families and children. I believe 
there is more we can do to ensure decent living conditions for all 
Americans, and I'm sure all of my colleagues would agree.
  The Public Housing Drug Elimination Program funded employment of 
security personnel, reimbursement of local law enforcement agencies for 
additional security, drug education and prevention; physical 
improvements designed to enhance security, and youth programs. In my 
own district, the Oakland Housing Authority funneled their money into 
five different areas. They created three Boys & Girls club programs on-
site; the local Museum of Art which ran an after-school performing and 
visual arts program--serving forty at risk youth daily; the City of 
Oakland's Discover Center operated a program with PHDEP dollars called, 
``Science in the Hood,'' which taught hands-on general science, 
physics, and chemistry; and the Asian Community Mental Health center 
provided health, educational, and employment assistance and cultural 
services for Asian residents, filling a gap in community service.
  The Public Housing Drug Elimination is a real tool to combat real bad 
actors from public housing, all while protecting youth and tenants. 
This program, unlike the one-strike policy (upheld in U.S. HUD v. 
Rucker), puts the power to change the community in the hands of the 
community, it's leadership, and public housing officials. Hand and 
hand, the drug elimination program and a modified eviction policy could 
help end the criminal activity that takes place in public housing.
  Mr. Speaker, one-third of all residents who live in public housing 
are elderly. If we fail to at least authorize this program we will in 
fact allow thousands of elderly people to live in fear and potentially 
unsafe environments. We are the richest country in the world. Housing 
is a basic human right. We can do more to ensure decent living 
conditions for all Americans and we can do more to make public housing 
safe.
  Today I offer the Public Housing Drug Elimination Act of 2003 to 
authorize this program and allow appropriators to commit such sums as 
they deem necessary. I ask that my colleagues join me in support of 
this important program and this bill.

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