[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 112 (Tuesday, September 12, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6394-H6396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 12, 2006 (House)]
[Page H6394-H6396]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr12se06-118]                         



 
                        AFFORDABLE RURAL HOUSING

  (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of increasing the 
availability and affordability and quality of rural housing in the 
United States. It is a long time coming.
  To move towards this goal, I have introduced two pieces of 
legislation. H.R. 5896, the Housing Assistance Council Authorization 
Act of 2006, authorizes $10 million for HAC in fiscal year 2007 and $15 
million for fiscal years 2008 through 2012. This will enable the 
council to further improve housing conditions for the rural poor, 
particularly the poorest of the poor in the most rural places in the 
United States.
  H.R. 6044, the Rural Housing and Economic Development Enhancement Act 
of 2006, authorizes $30 million for the RHED program in fiscal year 
2007 and $40 million for fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage members of the Congressional Rural 
Housing Caucus and all of my other colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to cosponsor these bills.
  I rise today in support of increasing the availability, affordability 
and quality of rural housing in the United States. It is a long time 
coming.
  To move toward this goal, I have introduced two pieces of 
legislation.
  H.R. 5896, the ``Housing Assistance Council Authorization Act of 
2006'' authorizes $10 million for HAC in fiscal year 2007, and $15 
million for fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year 2012. This will enable 
the Council to further improve housing conditions for the rural poor, 
particularly the poorest of the poor in the most rural places in the 
United States.
  It will also enable ``HAC'' to offer additional services to public, 
nonprofit, and private organizations throughout the rural United 
States.
  H.R. 6044, the ``Rural Housing and Economic Development Enhancement 
Act of 2006,'' authorizes $30 million for the RHED program in fiscal 
year 2007 and $40 million for fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year 
2012.
  These authorizations will help the program provide additional funding 
to increase and improve capacity building at the State and local level 
and support innovative housing and economic development activities in 
rural areas.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage the members of the Congressional 
Rural Housing Caucus, and all my other colleagues in the House of 
Representatives, to cosponsor these bills.
  They will both improve rural housing and the lives of our 
constituents in rural areas. I ask that letters of support and a copy 
of the bills be made a part of the Record.

                                                     Rural Housing


                                      Development Corporation,

                                       Provo, UT, August 14, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you for writing and 
     introducing H.R. 5896, which will authorize funding support 
     for the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). Our nonprofit 
     agency, Rural Housing Development Corporation, has worked 
     with the Housing Assistance Council for several years. HAC 
     helps local organizations such as ours build affordable 
     housing. Our experience with HAC has been tremendous as we 
     have received several SHOP awards since 1999. I have also 
     attended the last three housing conferences held by HAC every 
     other year in Washington, D.C. and appreciate the valuable 
     information and networking provided.
       I also thank you for your outstanding leadership on housing 
     issues and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing 
     Caucus.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Brad Bishop,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                   Comite de Bien Estar, Inc.,

                                     San Luis, AZ, August 7, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you for writing and 
     introducing H.R. 5896, which will authorize funding support 
     for the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). The Comite de Bien 
     Estar has worked with the Housing Assistance Council for 
     seven years. HAC helps local organizations such as ours build 
     affordable housing.
       Our experience with HAC has been mutually beneficial. We 
     were able to acquire SHOP funds for our second Self Help 
     Housing grant from USDA Rural Development only two years 
     after becoming a Self Help grantee. These funds have been 
     used to help us acquire land for development of 
     infrastructure and lots for the Self Help program. We are 
     currently using a $660,000 SHOP loan for our eighth 
     subdivision where 174 self help families will build their 
     homes over the next three years. The SHOP conversion funds we 
     have are going to help develop an 80-acre subdivision 
     exclusively for the Self Help program families.
       Thank you also for your outstanding leadership on housing 
     issues and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing 
     Caucus.
           Sincerely,
     John McGrady.
                                  ____



                                     Florida Home Partnership,

                                       Ruskin, FL, August 3, 2006.
     Re H.R. 5896 funding for the Housing Assistance Council.

     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you for writing and 
     introducing H.R. 5896, which will authorize funding support 
     for the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). Florida Home 
     Partnership, Inc. has worked with the Housing Assistance 
     Council for seven years. HAC has provided our agency with 
     much needed technical assistance and capacity building during 
     our ongoing relationship. Many of the agencies we work with 
     receive similar assistance from HAC.
       We build in excess of fifty homes per year utilizing the 
     USDA self-help housing method in rural Hillsborough County 
     Florida. Over the years, we have received over $3,000,000 in 
     SHOP dollars via HAC. This has helped fund 450 homes which 
     have either been delivered, are in construction, or in the 
     site development process.
       HAC has provided us with construction bonding, capacity 
     building grants, extensive training, and technical 
     assistance. In our capacity as a sub-recipient of HAC SHOP 
     funds, we have been able to retain a portion of SHOP funds. 
     This has allowed us to leverage these doliars and obtain 
     alternate funding.
       In addition, the return portion of HAC's SHOP funds, has 
     allowed us to establish an identity as an organization with a 
     positive net worth. This net worth has built gradually over 
     the last seven years.
       Thank you also for your outstanding leadership on housing 
     issues and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing 
     Caucus.
           Respectfully,
                                              Earl Allen Pfeiffer,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

         Community Development Corporation of South Texas, Inc.,
                                       McAllen, TX, July 31, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you for introducing H.R. 
     5896, a bill to authorize funding for the Housing Assistance 
     Council (``HAC''). McAllen Affordable Homes and the Community 
     Development Corporation of South Texas strongly support 
     Congressional funding for the Housing Assistance Council. HAC 
     helps local organizations such as ours build affordable 
     housing, particularly in the rural areas. While our 
     experience with HAC is relatively short compared to countless 
     other local Community Development groups around the country, 
     the assistance that HAC provides the local groups working in 
     the most difficult areas of our country is critical. As your 
     district office here in the Valley can attest to, the 
     assistance that HAC recently provided to us has made a 
     significant impact in our communities, including your 
     hometown of Mercedes.
       Furthermore, I would also like to thank you for the kind 
     words you sent along during our anniversary reception for 
     MAHI (30 years) and CDCST (5 years). Salomon Torres shared 
     with the audience your appreciation and respect to our 
     founders for the vision that they had 30 years ago. I, of 
     course, proudly mentioned that you hosted the organizational 
     meeting responsible for kicking off the CDCST and we proudly 
     list you as a valued Advisory Board Member.
       Thank you for your outstanding leadership on housing issues 
     and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing Caucus.
           Sincerely,
                                               Robert A. Calvillo,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                   Housing Assistance Council,

                                    Washington, DC, July 27, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you very much for 
     authoring and introducing

[[Page H6395]]

     H.R. 5896, a bill to authorize appropriations for the Housing 
     Assistance Council, and for your vision and leadership in 
     creating the Rural Housing Caucus.
       The board and staff of HAC share your goals of expanding 
     the availability of safe and affordable rural housing, 
     creating homeownership for rural Americans, building and 
     preserving rural rental units, and eliminating substandard 
     rural housing conditions. We look forward to working with you 
     on these attainable and worthy goals.
       We also appreciate the outstanding work of Greg Davis of 
     your staff.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Moises Loza,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                              Proyecto Azteca,

                                     San Juan, TX, August 1, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: It's with great pleasure that I 
     write this letter to commend you for your commitment and 
     dedication to providing affordable housing for rural 
     communities. I recently learned of your work in writing and 
     introducing H.R. 5896, which will authorize funding support 
     for the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). Proyecto Azteca has 
     worked with the Housing Assistance Council for the past 12 
     years. Our partnership with HAC is essential to building 
     affordable housing for colonia communities in the Rio Grande 
     Valley.
       Thank you also for your outstanding leadership on housing 
     issues and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing 
     Caucus.
           Sincerely,
                                                  David Arizmendi,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                                   August 2, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you so very much for 
     writing and introducing H.R. 5896 which will authorize 
     funding support for the Housing Assistance Council, Inc.!
       Community Services Programs, Inc. has worked with the 
     Housing Assistance Council, Inc. (HAC) for more than twenty 
     (20) years and together we have constructed more than 200 
     units of housing for very low income and special needs 
     households, inclusive of victims of domestic violence, in the 
     Hudson River Valley Region of New York State.
       In fact, with pre-development loans provided by HAC, our 
     organization developed one of the first New York State 
     Housing Trust Fund developments (and was actually the first 
     to close with this program that has provided over 
     $500,000,000.00 of funding statewide since 1985); was the 
     absolute first to close on a New York State capital HOME 
     Project in 1994; was the only developer to build actual 
     family housing under New York State's ``HOMES FOR WORKING 
     FAMILIES'' Program in 2002 and since; and, just recently our 
     organization undertook the development of 52 units of New 
     York State Low Income Housing Tax Credits' financed housing. 
     This development is one of only a handful of SLIHTC stand 
     alone developments in the State.
       It is often believed that New York is a large, metropolitan 
     State and that is simply not true. Along with the rural 
     nature of much of our State is the same lack of available 
     financial resources for pre-development, acquisition and 
     actual development activities. With the support of HAC over 
     the past twenty (20) years, our organization has been able to 
     create more than 200 housing units with many more expected to 
     come on line!
       HAC has an extremely dedicated, knowledgeable and committed 
     Staff who fulfill its organization's mission on a daily 
     basis. Your direct support of HAC is so very welcomed and 
     such an invaluable investment in rural housing. Please know 
     that you have an open invitation to visit our housing units 
     that ``but for'' HAC, may never have been built!
       With most sincere appreciation for your outstanding 
     leadership on housing issues and your creation of the 
     Congressional Rural Housing Caucus, I remain,
           Very Truly yours,
                                                    M. T. O'Leary,
     Chief Executive Officer.
                                  ____



                                             Frontier Housing,

                                  Morehead, KY, September 5, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you for writing and 
     introducing H.R. 5896, which will authorize funding support 
     for the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). Frontier Housing 
     has worked with the HAC for many years. HAC helps local 
     organizations such as ours build affordable housing. Our 
     experience with HAC has allowed us to find numerous 
     affordable housing solutions for families in eastern 
     Kentucky.
       Thank you also for your exceptional leadership on housing 
     issues and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing 
     Caucus.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Stacey Epperson,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                        Self-Help Enterprises,

                                      Visalia, CA, August 1, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: I wanted to take a moment to say 
     ``Thank You'' for your work in writing and introducing H.R. 
     5896, which will authorize funding support for the Housing 
     Assistance Council (HAC). Self-Help Enterprises has worked in 
     partnership with the Housing Assistance Council for over 30 
     years, so we know firsthand the work that HAC does in helping 
     local organizations such as ours build affordable housing in 
     rural America.
       As you may remember, Self-Help Enterprises serves the 
     housing and community needs of California's San Joaquin 
     Valley. Like so many communities in your district, our 
     communities often lack the most basic elements of life: 
     decent affordable housing, clean drinking water, and adequate 
     sewage disposal. Even when there are federal and state 
     resources available to address community needs, the capacity 
     of local organizations to access those resources is often 
     limited.
       The Housing Assistance Council has a remarkable track 
     record in assisting local organizations in the most rural, 
     and often overlooked, regions of our nation. HAC's work 
     expands local capacity, increases access to valuable 
     resources, and helps to focus national attention of the needs 
     of the communities you care about in your district and across 
     the rural America. Your support of their work, with the 
     introduction of H.R. 5896, means a lot to those of us who 
     care about rural housing.
       Thank you also for your outstanding leadership on housing 
     issues and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing 
     Caucus. I know from our conversations that you truly care 
     about the people of rural America and the communities they 
     call home.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Peter N. Carey,
     CEO.
                                  ____

                                                 Vermont Housing &


                                           Conservation Board,

                              Montpelier, Vermont, August 3, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: I am writing to thank you for 
     introducing H.R. 5896 authorizing funding for the Housing 
     Assistance Council. As you know, HAC helps housing 
     organizations throughout rural America build affordable 
     housing. Over the years they have worked with a number of 
     organizations in Vermont, providing technical assistance, 
     capacity building, and loans for rural housing developments. 
     Those organizations find them to an important and enormously 
     helpful resource.
       Again, thank-you for introducing this bill as well as for 
     your leadership on other housing issues, especially those 
     faced by rural communities.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Polly Nichol,
     Director of Housing Programs.
                                  ____



                              Delmarva Rural Ministries, Inc.,

                                        Dover, DE, August 1, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: I take this opportunity to thank 
     you for writing and introducing H.R. 5896, which authorizes 
     funding for the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). Delmarva 
     Rural Ministries, Inc. has worked with the Housing Assistance 
     Council for the past seventeen years. Through HAC's support, 
     expertise and technical assistance, local community based 
     organizations such as ours are better able to develop decent 
     safe and affordable housing for low to moderate income 
     households residing in rural America.
       Our experience with HAC dates back to 1989 when HAC 
     provided interim financing that enabled Delmarva Rural 
     Ministries, Inc. to secure a site that resulted in the 
     development of our first farm labor housing, James Leonard 
     Apartments, a thirty four unit farm labor housing apartment 
     complex located in Wicomico County, Maryland. Interim 
     financing from HAC played a crucial role in the development 
     of our second rental housing project for farmworkers, 
     Elizabeth Cornish Landing Apartments in Bridgevile, Delaware. 
     Had it not been for HAC's support, we would have lost the 
     site. The ECL Apartments was a Ninth Round Awardee for the 
     Fannie Mae Maxwell Awards of Excellence.
       Finally, I want to also commend you for your outstanding 
     leadership on housing issues and your creation of the 
     Congressional Rural Housing Caucus.
           Sincerely,
                                              Debra D. Singletary,
     CEO.
                                  ____



                                      Rural Development, Inc.,

                                 Turners Fall, MA, August 1, 2006.
     Hon. Ruben Hinojosa,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you for writing and 
     introducing H.R. 5896, which will authorize funding support 
     for the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). Rural Development, 
     Inc. (RDI) has worked with the Housing Assistance Council for 
     over ten years. HAC is invaluable to local organizations such 
     as ours that build affordable housing. HAC has assisted RDI 
     in a number of ways over the years:
       They have loaned us pre-development funds at low or no 
     interest for seven projects.
       They have helped us obtain several capacity building 
     grants.

[[Page H6396]]

       They have awarded us a green building grant.
       They have hosted national and regional training conferences 
     that my staff and I have attended.
       They publish a very informative quarterly magazine on rural 
     affordable housing issues.
       They publish a frequent online newsletter that keeps us 
     informed of timely issues.
       HAC is an organization that deserves congressional support 
     and I again thank you for that support.
       Thank you also for your outstanding leadership on housing 
     issues and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing 
     Caucus.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Anne Perkins,
     Director of Homeownership Programs.
                                  ____

     To: Representative Hinojosa
     From: Debbie Gass
     Date: August 29, 2006
     Subject: H.R. 5896--Housing Assistance Council (HAC).

       Dear Congressman Hinojosa: Thank you for writing and 
     introducing H.R. 5896, which will authorize funding support 
     for the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). Southern Maryland 
     Tri-County Community Action Committee, Inc. (SMTCCAC, Inc.) 
     has worked with the Housing Assistance Council for many 
     years. HAC assists non-profit organizations such as ours 
     build affordable housing. Our experience with HAC has always 
     resulted in a positive experience. Without HAC we would have 
     been unable to build many of our affordable homeownership 
     units in Southern Maryland.
       Over the last 30 years, our agency has built over 350 self-
     help homeownership units and over 250 rental units for low 
     income families. Without HAC, this would have been an 
     impossible task for us. We would not have had access to 
     necessary capital to finance site development and it would be 
     necessary to rely on the private lending industry to provide 
     development financing, as well as letters of credits for the 
     bonds. Without having the site improvements in place, there 
     is inadequate equity in the unimproved land and most 
     nonprofit development organizations do not have the necessary 
     security to offer the bank, making it necessary for the non-
     profit to place cash on deposit in addition to offering up 
     the land as security. This adds tremendous cost to the 
     project and ultimately to the improved lot. HAC has provided 
     SMTCCAC, Inc. with many low interest loans to finance these 
     developments/lots therefore, keeping the cost to the low-
     income family affordable.
       Thank you also for your outstanding leadership on housing 
     issues and your creation of the Congressional Rural Housing 
     Caucus. I hope that you will continue to support the Housing 
     Assistance Council and their efforts to provide financing to 
     non-profit organizations and assist families in obtaining the 
     American dream of homeownership.
           Sincerely,

                                                Debra A. Gass,

                                                    SMTCCAC, Inc.,
     Program Director.

                          ____________________