Date: 1986-05-13
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 1. the Housing authorization bill. and strongly endorse the compromise substitute contained in H.R. 4746 and worked out by our distinguished chairman of the Housing Subcommittee. my colleague from Texas and the distinguished ranking minority member of the Housing Subcommittee. my colleague from Connecticut . It has been 3 years since we have been able to bring a housing bill to the floor of the House. so I commend the tenacity of the chairman of the Housing Subcommittee and my Democratic and Republican colleagues on the Banking Committee have pressed hard and worked together so that important housing and community development issues may be considered by the House in the authorization process rather than being decided upon In budget resolutions and appropriations acts. The substitute amendment offered to H.R. 1 reauthorizes our federally assisted housing program through to the end of fiscal year 1987. reauthorizes the community development block grant and the urban development action grant programs through to the end of fiscal year 1987. reauthorizes the Farmers Home Administrations Rural Housing programs through the end of fiscal year 1.987. and extend the HUDFHA Mortgage Insurance Program through to the end of fiscal year 1987. The substitute makes a number of program amendments for FHA mortgage insurance and the secondary mortgage market programs. prohibits the imposition of user fees on the operations of FNMA and FHLMC. which if imposed would authorize a hidden tax on the homebuying public. Mr. Chairman. the amendment contains an important provision regarding the UDAG Program that would change the selection criteria so that the UDAG Program would be more available in the areas of the country particularly the South and Southwest. This amendment would also extend the Federal Flood Insurance Program and the Federal Crime Insurance Program. both of which programs continue to be greatly needed particularly at a time when our insurance industry is walking away from all areas of insurance coverage. Our federall assisted housing programs for lower- and middleinc6me people would be continued and reauthorized by the provisions of the GonzalezMcKinney amendment despite the fact the administration for the past 2 years has attempted to terminate such programs as the section 202 Elderly Housing Program and the public housing and section 8 programs. The amendment would make a number of important administrative changes in the manner in which public housing operating subsidies are provided and a revision in the comprehensive modernization improvement program sponsored by our colleagues. the gentleman from Texas and the gentleman from Massachusetts . The amendment also would authorize a program authored by Mr. McKINNEY of Connecticut to provide that section 202 assistance would be available for a new program of housing for mentally handicapped people. A new initiative provides an expanded response on the part of the Federal Government to the national dilemma of homelessness in our country. This provision is sponsored by our colleague from Minnesota. Mr. VENTO. and our colleague from Ohio. Ms. OAKAR. The emergency food and shelter assistance would continue with an addition of new programs to provide Federal funding for the renovation of existing structures for housing for homeless people and a second stage housing program for homeless people. Finally. Mr. Chairman. the amendment would authorize a new homeownership assistance program developed by our colleague from New York.