Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to Nicholas P. Retsinas, July 24, 1997

Congress of rije (Hniteb States $ciusc oC Eeprescntatibesf iffilastimgton. DC 20313-2002 July 24, 1997 The Honorable Nicholas P. Retsinas U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 45 1 Seventh Street, S. W. Room 90100 Washington, D.C. 20410 Dear Commissioner Retsinas: I am writing to request your support for a demonstration program that will provide stability in select neighborhoods in America. As you know, we share a fundamental interest in federal housing policies and the impact of subsidized housing projects under the supervision of HUD. The most compelling need in today’s subsidized housing projects is stability. Residential homes provide the foundation for neighborhoods and reflect the quality of life in those communities. Constant resident turnover in subsidized housing projects threatens to destablize marginal neighborhoods. In an effort to reward project owners that invest in their properties and help residents maintain a reasonable level of stability in the local community, I have proposed the Neighborhood Stability Preservation Demonstration Program. This program will be tied to the Preservation Voucher program and will eligible to project owners that have prepaid their mortgage during Fiscal Year 1996. In addition, the demonstration program will be limited to owners residing within 40 miles of the project, thereby insisting the owner remains in close proximity to the community. As a member of the Housing Subcommittee, I am very interested in implementing this demonstration program in a timely fashion. It is my understanding you been sent a copy of the legislative language (see attached) I intend to sponsor in Congress. For reasons unknown to me, however, you have not provided an opinion on this important program. Your support for this demonstration program will assist me in my efforts to stabilize at-risk neighborhoods in Baltimore and across the country. Accordingly, I respectfully request that you convey to me your opinion of this program so that we may proceed in this session of Congress. Thank you for taking the time to review my request. If you should need to discuss this issue further, please do not hesitate to contact me. Very truly yours, Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Member of Congress attachment cc: Housing Subcommittee Chairman Rick Lazio