Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, November 3, 1995

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Richard Cross November 3, 1995 410-337-7222 EHRLICH SECURES HOUSE LEADERSHIP SUPPOR T IN FIGHT A GAINST PROPOSED HOUSING SETTLEMENT; RACE-BASED CERTIFICATES TO BE DEFUNDED At the request of Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., House Republican leaders have agreed to insert language into an appropriations bill which will block the federal government from implementing a plan to require approximately 4000 residents of Baltimore City public housing to relocate to areas of “low minority and poverty concentration.” The plan in question is a proposed partial settlement to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU against Baltimore City and the federal government regarding public housing practices. Under the terms of the settlement, 1,342 families would receive special housing certificates with which they could relocate. However, it forbids them from doing so in certain designated poor or minority neighborhoods. “The new language, which my staff and I helped draft, will be added to the House-Senate conference report on the FY 1996 HUD appropriations bill,” Congressman Ehrlich stated. “It effectively defunds the race-based housing certificates proposed under the plan, and prevents HUD from using federal funds to enforce the terms of this ill-conceived settlement.” The House Republican leadership has expressed its support for the language. “The Baltimore City-ACLU proposal is bad public policy, plain and simple,”