Former HUD Secretary Kemp Dies

Aviewfromdc hopes advocates for affordable housing will take a moment to celebrate the contributions Jack Kemp, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), made to the field. Kemp died May 2 from cancer in his home in Bethesda, MD.

An original sponsor of legislation creating enterprise zones, Kemp was the first high-profile Republican to challenge his party to promote policies which would truly benefit the poor and, in particular, minorities. This did not sit well with his conservative brethren and cost him any hope of winning the party’s nomination which eventually went to George H. Bush.

After senior Bush’s election to the presidency, the senior Bush named Kemp secretary of HUD which was reeling from various scandals under the watch of Samuel R. Pierce Jr. Kemp reinvigorated HUD and pursued policies which promoted homeownership for the poor and private investment in those communities. While his policies were not always well received – Kemp advocated the sale of public housing units to its residents – Kemp nonetheless made the effort to demonstrate his program of fiscal and social conservatism could help to raise people out of poverty. His efforts helped to give the department and its programs relevance in the face of congressional ire.

He supported civil rights, affirmative action and what some may consider progressive immigration reform. When Henry Cisneros took over the helm of HUD following the election of Bill Clinton to the presidency, Kemp endorsed the former mayor at his nomination hearing.

Whether you agreed with him is not important. It is important to remember in the late 80’s and early 90’s, he was one of the few Republicans who made an effort to ensure the needs of the poor were met in a thoughtful and respectful way. He was a man who clearly loved his country and served it to the best of his abilities. He will be missed.


HUD Secretary Reflects on Department’s First 100 Days

On April 28 HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan reflected on the accomplishments of the department in the first 100 days of the Obama administration.

Among the accomplishments outlined by Donovan were the following accomplishments:

1. $4 billion of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) support for the Public Housing Capital Fund, along with $510 million to renovate Native American Housing and $250 million to conduct energy retrofits of Assisted Housing.
2. A Tax Credit Assistance Program to produce and preserve thousands of units of affordable housing through a $2.25 billion investment.
3. An extra $1 billion in funding for Community Development Block Grants to help local governments rehabilitate affordable housing and improve key public facilities.
4. 12-month funding for Section 8 project-based housing through our $2 billion Project-Based Rental Assistance program
5. The $2 billion Neighborhood Stabilization Program will be used to stabilize and revive local neighborhoods and housing markets with heavy concentrations of foreclosed properties.
6. The $1.5 billion Homelessness Prevention Fund will assist the vulnerable families and individuals who are on the brink of homelessness or have recently become homeless, helping to stabilize their lives as larger Recovery Act investments begin to turn the economic tide.
7. HUD has also implemented a "zero-tolerance" oversight policy for troubled Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) receiving funding under the Recovery Act.
8. HUD will host cost-saving online webinars with grantees and practitioners across the country, and invite them to engage in live Q&A while watching the presentations through a webcast to ensure accountability and transparency.
   

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