Subject: RELEASE: Clinton Calls on Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to Ensure Plan to Replace New Orleans Public Housing
From: "Clinton, Press Office (Clinton)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:27:04 -0500

For Immediate Release

December 21, 2007

Contact:

Clinton Press Office (202) 224-2243 or

[email-masked]

CLINTON CALLS ON SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE
PLAN TO REPLACE NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC HOUSING 

WASHINGTON, DC-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called on Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson to devise a clear and
comprehensive strategy to replace public housing in New Orleans.
Senator Clinton's call comes following a decision by the New Orleans
City Council to demolish 4,500 units of public housing.  Since the
tragedies of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and in the wake of the Bush
Administration's failed response, Senator Clinton has been a vocal and
tireless advocate for those struggling to rebuild their community and
their lives.  

"The people of New Orleans - especially minorities and low-income
residents - have been the victims of poor federal planning in the past.
HUD cannot allow this to be yet another example," Senator Clinton wrote.

In a letter to HUD Secretary Jackson, Senator Clinton noted the need to
confront the challenge of affordable housing not just in New Orleans,
but nationwide.  She called for HUD to implement a clear national
strategy to ensure that our stock of affordable housing is not dwindling
and that transitions from older public housing to new developments do
not leave families of modest means without affordable homes.  As part of
that national approach, Senator Clinton underscored that HUD should
certify before any demolition of public housing that there is an
adequate stock of replacement public housing and emphasized that local
residents should have a voice in these decisions.

A copy of Senator Clinton's letter follows:

Secretary Alphonso Jackson

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

451 7th Street, S.W.

Washington, DC 20410

Dear Secretary Jackson:

Yesterday, the New Orleans City Council approved plans proposed by the
Department of Housing and Urban Development to demolish 4,500 units of
public housing in New Orleans.  I applaud the City Council's commitment
to improving the safety and quality of the city's affordable housing
stock.  But I firmly believe that any plan by your Department to destroy
public housing units should be accompanied by an adequate plan to
replace them.  Replacing 4,500 units with a significantly smaller number
of market rate rental units is not acceptable. 

I therefore urge you to take the following steps before HUD proceeds
with demolition:

*	Ensure that there are affordable, livable units for displaced
low-income residents and work with state and local authorities to
accelerate and expand efforts to make affordable housing ready for
immediate occupancy. 

*	Establish a firm, precise timetable for when and where new
affordable housing developments will be ready. 

*	Complete the promised survey of displaced residents to
understand present living conditions and to determine the level of need.

 

As you know, we must confront the challenge of affordable housing not
just in New Orleans, but nationwide. This is an important economic and
social issue.  It is also a matter of civil rights - many of our current
challenges can be traced to past policies that had a disproportionate
negative impact on minority communities.   As we strive across the
country to replace blighted housing complexes with livable and
prosperous mixed-use residential communities, HUD must implement a clear
national strategy to ensure that our stock of affordable housing is not
dwindling and that transitions from older public housing to new
developments do not leave families of modest means without affordable
homes.  As part of that national approach, HUD should certify before any
demolition of public housing that there is an adequate stock of
replacement public housing.  And local residents should have a voice in
these decisions.

The people of New Orleans - especially minorities and low-income
residents - have been the victims of poor federal planning in the past.
HUD cannot allow this to be yet another example.  I look forward to
working with you on these critically important issues.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton