[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11147]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. AMBROSE HOUSING AID CENTER

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I congratulate the St. 
Ambrose Housing Aid Center on its 40th anniversary. Since 1968, it has 
grown from its original mission to confront the ``blockbusting'' 
practices harming Baltimore's neighborhoods to providing a myriad of 
services to more than 100,000 Baltimoreans as our oldest nonprofit 
housing provider.
  St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center was founded in 1968 by the dynamic and 
tenacious Father Vincent Patrick Quayle, known to all as Vinny. The 
center is dedicated to creating and preserving affordable housing in 
Baltimore. Its many successes are due to the charismatic and effective 
leadership of Vinny Quayle and the tireless efforts of a dedicated 
staff.
  In the 1970s, St. Ambrose initiated a rental program and converted 
several vacant Catholic school buildings into affordable apartments. 
This effort led to neighborhood revitalization in many Baltimore 
communities. Today, St. Ambrose owns and manages 350 single and 
multifamily affordable housing units serving very low-income 
households, households with special needs, and the elderly.
  When Baltimore experienced a gentrification movement in the 1980s, 
many low income families, especially those renting their homes, feared 
they would be displaced. St. Ambrose led the way in helping tenants 
convert to homeownership and was instrumental in convincing Baltimore 
City to establish a ``Tenant's Right of First Refusal'' bill.
  Two other programs were established that have become core services at 
St. Ambrose. The Homesharing Program, the only one in Maryland, matches 
householders with room to share with homeseekers who need affordable 
housing and are willing to provide help with household tasks or 
financial support. The Legal Services Program helps homeowners and 
tenants combat home improvement fraud and predatory lending practices.
  St. Ambrose partnered with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, HUD, and bought, renovated and sold Federal Housing 
Administration, FHA, properties to first-time homebuyers. Through its 
Homeownership Counseling Program, St. Ambrose serves more than 700 
prospective homebuyers every year, with 100 of them purchasing a home 
within 6 months of completing housing counseling.
  As the numbers of subprime mortgages and foreclosures have increased, 
St. Ambrose has stepped forward to help homeowners save their homes. 
Expert housing counselors provide assistance to homeowners in a number 
of ways and staff attorneys are available to provide legal review and 
action.
  I am most proud to extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes 
to St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center on its 40th anniversary and ask my 
colleagues to do the same.

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