Rep. Corrine Brown: “I rise in support of the Valazquez amendment, which sets a minimum rent of up to $25, and allows for a waiver to be…”

“I rise in support of the Valazquez amendment, which sets a minimum rent of up to $25, and allows for a waiver to be granted in cases of extreme hardship. In Florida, a $50 minimum rent will affect 2.100 households. This would mean an average annual rent increase of $340. That may not seem like a lot of money to some of my wealthy colleagues in Congress, but for some of our Nation's public housing residents, that could mean the difference between buying a child a warm winter coat, or buying that same child the correct-size shoes. This truly is a matter of having food on the table, clothes on their backs, and a roof over their heads. Public housing in our Nation is the last resort for many of our citizens. It is the final safety net before low-income folks end up homeless and on the street. If we can make some responsible and appropriate changes in the current law to improve public housing, by all means, let's do it. Many of the people who reside in public housing are low-income veterans. Forty-one percent of residents in public and assisted housing are seniors or are disabled. The remainder are families with children. This Congress should be doing everything it can to provide safe, affordable, units for our Nation's low-income citizens. That's the kind thing to do. That's the compassionate thing to do. That's the right thing to do. Support the amendment.”