Porter Goss: “this week we expect some long-overdue good news for seniors. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will…”

“this week we expect some long-overdue good news for seniors. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will release its new rule defining the ``significant facilities and services'' requirement for senior communities under the Fair Housing Act. We well remember HUD's first attempt to set such standards--a disaster that sparked vigorous and legitimate protest from seniors across the country. From what we have seen, it appears HUD learned its lesson the second time through. I thank all those who made themselves heard. It made a difference. The new rule recognizes the unique social and physical characteristics of senior communities. And it will enable existing senior-only communities to qualify for the exemption without great expense. It is about time the bureaucracy acts to alleviate the unnecessary fears and anxiety caused by the vagueness in current law. I hope the millions of Americans impacted by this proposed new rule will take a close look and let us know what they think.”