Sean Patrick Maloney: “Senior citizens and people with disabilities should not be forced to choose between their pets and their opportunities…”

“Senior citizens and people with disabilities should not be forced to choose between their pets and their opportunities to affordable housing. Mr. Chairman, under current Federal law, senior citizens living in federally assisted senior designated housing have a right to own a pet. This 12-year-old policy has worked and it has worked very well. But tragically for most seniors, senior designated housing makes up only 10 percent of all the Federal housing. In many places, specially designated senior housing is not available due to long, long waiting lists. Seniors, therefore, who live in Federal housing are forced to give up their pets. Studies have shown again and again the physical and mental health benefits of pet ownership.”