Rep. John W. Olver Holds a Hearing On Housing Needs of Special Populations
Political Transcript Wire › August 25, 2009
Linked as:
Extract
Rep. John W. Olver Holds a Hearing On Housing Needs of Special Populations
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES HOLDS A HEARING ON HOUSING NEEDS OF SPECIAL POPULATIONS
FEBRUARY 28, 2008SPEAKERS: REP. JOHN W. OLVER, D-MASS. CHAIRMAN REP. ED PASTOR, D-ARIZ. REP. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ, D-TEXAS REP. MARCY KAPTUR, D-OHIO REP. DAVID E. PRICE, D-N.C. REP. ROBERT E. "BUD" CRAMER, D-ALA. REP. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD, D-CALIF. REP. MARION BERRY, D-ARK. REP. DAVID R. OBEY, D-WIS. EX OFFICIOREP. JOSEPH KNOLLENBERG, R-MICH. RANKING MEMBER REP. FRANK R. WOLF, R-VA. REP. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, R-ALA. REP. JAMES T. WALSH, R-N.Y. REP. VIRGIL H. GOODE JR., R-VA. REP. JERRY LEWIS, R-CALIF. EX OFFICIOWITNESSES: MARK JOHNSTON, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS JOHN GARVIN, SENIOR ADVISOR, HOUSING PROGRAMS, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS[*] OLVER: The subcommittee will come to order. We are in the position where at least four or five different committees are having showtime. Several of them where there are lots of cameras. You're lucky we don't have exactly cameras or we would have the whole place crowded, as those others, several of the others are. I just came from one that I was on, which was very interesting.Anyway, I want to welcome Mark Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs Assistance Programs, and John Garvin, the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Housing Programs to the hearing on Housing for the Elderly, Disabled, Homeless, and People with AIDS.The federal government has a responsibility, I believe, to insure that a strong social safety net exists for people who are elderly, disabled, homeless, or live with AIDS. You're always welcome to disagree. Our friends within these vulnerable populations are all too often forgotten, and left without the supportive services they need and require. Adequate and affordable housing, along with supportive housing services is particularly important for the elderly, disabled, homeless, and people with AIDS.I would like to spend just a few minutes to describe the great need that exists for housing within these communities. For the elderly, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of elderly is expected to rise to 72 million by 2030, which is more than double the number in the year 2000. Now, that's quite a rate of rise, in fact. It's about three percent per year, or more. But, we're not seeing that yet, because the babyboomers have not begun to retire. But, when they begin to retire in the next few years, then for the rest of that period the babyboomers will be coming through year after year after year. So that's how you get to those kinds of numbers.The United States already has a shortage of housing for the elderly. AARP estimates that today there are ten seniors on a waiting list for every one unit of elderly housing that becomes available. And the rise in the number of elderly will continue to exacerbate this housing shortage; again, as the babyboomers reach retirement.In a report released in 2002, the bipartisan Commission on Affordable Housing and Health Facilities Needs for Seniors in the 21st Century estimated that an additional...See the full content of this document
Sponsored links
