Alcee Hastings: “I am surprised that we would come down here and argue to the people that we want to cut out an opportunity for…”

“I am surprised that we would come down here and argue to the people that we want to cut out an opportunity for low-income people to have adequate housing. One of the problems in this country is the inseparable triumvirate of inadequate jobs, inadequate housing, and inadequate educational opportunities. One can go to Syracuse, and I have been there, and I will show one where the ghetto is. One can go to Fort Lauderdale or in Miami, the district of the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek), who spoke earlier, and I will show one a place where there is a necessity for added housing in this country. At one point in the 1960's, I considered, as a lawyer, changing my entire practice to trying to help the low-income people of this country. Along came Richard Nixon in 1968 and doggone if we did not cut out all of those opportunities. Real estate investment trusts attracted those persons who had high income to come into low-income areas to help build the housing stock. Now, from the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), who I heard argue that the spend-down rate has been poor, one cannot spend where there is nowhere for a person to buy. We do not have adequate housing in this country.”