[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 111 (Wednesday, July 22, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        FRANK MELVILLE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING INVESTMENT ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 20, 2009

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my strong 
support for H.R. 1675, the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Act. I 
commend Representatives Christopher Murphy (CT) and Judy Biggert (IL) 
for introducing this bill and I also thank my colleagues on the 
Financial Services Committee for passing this bill and bringing it to 
the floor this week.
  Mr. Speaker, as you know, this legislation makes several important 
changes to the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with 
Disabilities program. This bill is strongly supported by a wide array 
of disability advocacy groups, in particular the Consortium for 
Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), a group of 100 national disability 
organizations which includes The Arc of the United States, United 
Cerebral Palsy, the National Disability Rights Network, the American 
Network of Community Options and Resources, the National Alliance on 
Mental Illness, Easter Seals, United Spinal Association, the National 
Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Brain Injury Association.
  John Chafee--the late Senator from Rhode Island and a true champion 
for disabled Americans--always made it clear that ``your abilities, not 
your disabilities, will determine your future.'' As a recipient of the 
John Chafee Leadership in Public Policy Award in 2002, I am always 
mindful of his vision.
  I have long advocated for public housing programs, particularly for 
those that would benefit those with disabilities. Disabled Americans, 
like all Americans, deserve equal access to fundamental resources such 
as housing. In particular, I worked to ensure that vouchers were not 
lost when disabled people moved.
  An estimated 50,000 non-elderly, disabled vouchers were funded by 
Congress between FY 1997 and FY 2001. Funding for these vouchers is 
estimated at $250-$275 million annually. Approximately 400 Public 
Housing Authorities (PHAs) administer these vouchers.
  These incremental vouchers for non-elderly, disabled individuals and 
families were intended to replace housing for non-elderly people with 
disabilities lost as a result of the ``elderly only'' designation of 
public and assisted housing since 1993.
  The CCD Housing Task Force estimated that the loss due to this 
designation has approached 500,000 units since 1992, including 100,000 
public housing units and 400,000 assisted housing units.
  To correct HUD's misinterpretation of Congressional intent, the House 
of Representatives has gone on the record on numerous occasions since 
2000. Congress has clarified the policy that ``turnover'' vouchers 
should continue to be provided to certain people with disabilities as 
provided by Congress.
  Language was included both in advisory reports for appropriations 
bills, and following continued inaction by HUD, actual bill language 
that was included in Conference reports signed by the President.
  It was not until February 2005 that HUD issued guidance to PHAs 
detailing their ongoing obligation to ensure that these vouchers remain 
targeted upon turnover to the disabled population Congress intended.
  Therefore, we've been fortunate to finally make ``real'' progress for 
disabled Americans. Through efforts in Congress, including my work on 
the House Appropriations Committee, each of the Fiscal Year 2008 and 
2009 Omnibus Appropriations bills included $30 million for new 
incremental vouchers to be specifically targeted towards disabled and 
homeless veteran populations.
  This will insure that existing vouchers for those populations are not 
rolled over into ``mainstream'' voucher programs that primarily benefit 
older Americans.
  This legislation greatly reforms the Section 811 program, including 
new programs to remove outdated regulatory barriers and better track 
the status of vouchers that are currently in use. By doing so, this 
bill greatly expands on recent progress that the Congress has made with 
regard to our nation's housing programs.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, similar legislation was unanimously passed by the 
House under Suspension of the Rules in September 2008 and I am happy to 
see that the current Congress has made it a priority to see this 
legislation become law.

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