America Neglecting Third of Nation Who Rent, Say Ex-NYC Mayor Ed Koch and Ex-White...

America Neglecting Third of Nation Who Rent, Say Ex-NYC Mayor Ed Koch and
Ex-White House Spokesperson Bob Weiner

WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, July 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While the new
federal anti-foreclosure bill signed by President Obama helps homeowners
affected by the current financial meltdown, the bill and its $13.6 billion
housing recovery money have ignored the one-third of American households who
rent, say former Mayor of New York and Congressman Ed Koch and ex-White House
spokesperson Bob Weiner, former Chief of Staff of the House Aging Committee
and Koch's former legislative assistant.

Koch and Weiner urge Congress to return Section 8 and public housing to a
maximum 30% of income for rent, itself a compromise from the previous law
under the Koch amendment in Congress that limited it to 20%. Now, say Koch
and Weiner, people are being impoverished and driven to homelessness by being
forced to pay as much as 40% and 50% of income as rent.

In an op-ed column in today's New York Daily News, "Renters Across America
Need More Help from Congress," Koch and Weiner call renters "The Forgotten
Third of America. They too have a dream of having and staying in a home."

Koch and Weiner explain, "When Congress legislated the Housing and Community
Development Act in 1974, the original bill including the Koch amendment
established that a family should pay no more than 15%-20% of income in
federally assisted housing and that a voucher would cover the difference."

"Over the years, this successful program has been whittled away by special
interest groups and misdirected priorities. Many families pay upwards of 40%
and 50% of their income because they cannot find an apartment that meets the
established rent cap. The New York City Housing Authority reports there are
127,825 New York families on the wait list. It shouldn't surprise us that one
very immediate consequence of all this is homelessness.

"In Congress, Reps. Maxine Waters and Barney Frank are moving forward with
Section 8 housing reform. Congress now must make sure that all citizens,
including renters, often the poorest Americans who cannot afford decent
housing, have a roof over their heads and a decent home," conclude Koch and
Weiner.

Koch and Weiner authored the piece with research assistance by Zoe Pagonis and
Bridget Mora.

Link to article:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/07/05/2009-07-05_renters_across_america_need_more_help_from_congress.html

Contact: Bob Weiner/Zoe Pagonis 301-283-0821 or 202-329-1700

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates

Bob Weiner or Zoe Pagonis, +1-301-283-0821 or +1-202-329-1700