Lee Metcalf: “I rise in support of H.R. 2. H.R. 2 will fundamentally change public housing throughout this Nation. For too long…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 2. H.R. 2 will fundamentally change public housing throughout this Nation. For too long Washington, DC, has regulated public housing authorities, tying the hands of local housing authorities with Federal preferences and excessive regulations. Today we are taking steps to deregulate, to decentralize public housing, to give local housing agencies greater flexibility and control, and reduce the concentration of the poorest families in the worst housing projects. H.R. 2 will reward well-run public housing authorities, but will not tolerate chronically bad public housing authorities that have used taxpayers' dollars irresponsibly. This is not just a quick fix or an extreme solution, it is a real solution that will end public housing as we know it, and begin a new era of greater personal responsibility for residents and local responsibility for communities. Without these changes now, our public housing stock will continue to deteriorate.”