Minneapolis, MN – November 8, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Keith Ellison (Minneapolis) today announced that he will introduce the Rental Housing Revitalization Act (RHRA), legislation to address the nation’s public housing infrastructure crisis. Ellison worked closely with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan as well as housing advocates to write legislation to preserve our nation’s public housing. The RHRA is designed to restore the country’s deteriorating public housing infrastructure, simplify rental assistance programs, provide greater choice to renters, and give taxpayers more for their money.
“I am committed to maintaining access to affordable housing and I believe that this legislation will provide tremendous benefits to our communities,” said Congressman Ellison. “The Rental Housing Revitalization Act will help to reverse the decay of our public housing and ensure that our most vulnerable families — our seniors, disabled and low income Americans — can keep a roof over their heads in the years to come,” Ellison concluded.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan will join Ellison in the Twin Cities today at the 2010 Homes for All Conference to discuss the new legislation with advocates. The RHRA will enable federal housing programs to access up to $25 billion in private capital to finance badly needed repairs and rehabilitations, effectively stopping the loss of thousands of homes per year.
“The Rental Housing Revitalization Act is an historic opportunity for the housing community, and represents the kind of far-reaching change that many have spent decades fighting for,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “We are excited to work with Congressman Ellison and his colleagues in the House and Senate — and to continue working with our coalition of housing stakeholders — to move this proposal forward,” the Secretary concluded.
