[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 164 (Wednesday, November 4, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE TACOMA HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR 75 YEARS OF SERVICE

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                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 4, 2015

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Tacoma 
Housing Authority (THA) for its seventy-five years of service and 
stewardship in our community.
  The THA was created in 1940 to respond to the overwhelming demand for 
rental housing in the Pacific Northwest. World War II created a high 
demand for citizens to serve their country as well as to work in 
factories and shipyards to assist the war effort. Tacoma faced an 
immediate shortage of housing for newcomers and their families, and the 
THA made it a priority to provide affordable housing during these 
turbulent times.
  The Federal Government commissioned the design and speedy 
construction of large-scale housing developments throughout the Tacoma 
region. The THA managed Salishan, one of the largest housing 
developments with over 2,000 units. In coordinated efforts with the 
City of Tacoma and the U.S. military, the THA provided 3,723 housing 
units to individuals and families until the war ended in 1945. Salishan 
aged quickly during the post-war years, and by the 1990s, it needed 
significant renovations. In 2004, the THA received a $35 million HOPE 
VI grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for 
its reconstruction.
  Today, the THA continues to provide housing assistance to over 12,000 
individuals--roughly six percent of Tacoma's overall population. The 
majority of these persons are low-income families, children, seniors, 
or persons living with disabilities.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I recognize the work the THA 
has done for the Tacoma community. Their accomplishments and 
contributions to Washington State have helped to shape Northwest and I 
am confident that the THA will continue to be a positive contributor to 
the community in the years to come.

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