Rick Lazio: “Title IV of this bill would provide maximum flexibility for new ideas, new innovation. It does not preclude the housing…”

“Title IV of this bill would provide maximum flexibility for new ideas, new innovation. It does not preclude the housing authorities from participating in the new idea. It simply says that a municipal leader, a mayor, would be able to come forward and suggest a plan to HUD with certain protections that are built into the bill, including protecting the same amount of low-income people in terms of housing that would be true if we did not choose this option. What we are trying to do is to allow the creative inspiration of people at the municipal level to put forward plans subject to the approval of the Federal Government, the Department of Housing and Urban Development. There are protections that are built into this plan. For example, rent-setting protections are built into this plan serving the same amount of low income people; that is built into the plan. But we are trying to develop a system in which local leaders like mayors are more inclined to invest their own resources in economic development and housing for low-income people.”