Pete Domenici: “I believe Andrew M. Cuomo has the potential to be our Nation's finest Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. I am…”

“I believe Andrew M. Cuomo has the potential to be our Nation's finest Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. I am impressed with his understanding of our Nation's budget situation, and I am equally impressed with his commitment to meeting the housing challenges of needy Americans. Andrew Cuomo impressed the Senate Banking Committee with his understanding of the section 8 crisis that is upon us. Section 8 is the program by which HUD provides landlords with the necessary subsidies to allow them to rent their property to low-income Americans. A typical section 8 HUD payment will make up the difference between the actual market rent and the ability of the renter to pay. Thus, landlords continue to provide private housing stock to needy Americans. Because many of the 20-year contracts for section 8 housing are expiring, new Federal commitments of $16.4 billion are needed by the year 2002. Continuing this basic HUD program will require careful balancing to avoid crowding out other needed housing and community development programs. I have personally worked with Mr. Cuomo in his valiant efforts to increase funding for housing the homeless while streamlining the many HUD homeless programs.”