Affordable Housing Needs in the City of Houston: Unique Challenges and Opportunities

Monday, October 29, 2007, 9:00 AM, Houston Baptist University, Belin Chapel, 7502 Fondren Road, Houston, TX 77074

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY SUBCOMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ENTITLED “AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON: UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES”

Houston, TX –The House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity will host a Field Hearing entitled  “Affordable Housing Needs in the City of Houston: Unique Challenges and Opportunities”, this coming Monday, October 29, 2007.  Subcommittee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (CA-35), Congressman Al Green (TX-09), and other Members of the Subcommittee will hear testimony about the unique housing challenges facing the City of Houston, and explore opportunities to increase stable and affordable housing in the City. 

Although our city is the largest city in the nation in terms of land area, ranks as the fourth largest in terms of population, and has had typically low home prices, Houston lags far behind the rest of the nation in terms of homeownership. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of thousands of evacuees fled for shelter in the City of Houston and our city opened its arms to Katrina survivors.  As a result, Houston’s already strained stock of affordable housing was challenged even further.    Additionally, Houston families are in the throes of dealing with the sub-prime and resulting foreclosure crisis. 

Witness List & Prepared Testimony:

Panel One

• Mr. Milan Ozdinec, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Housing and Voucher Programs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Mr. Michael Gerber, Executive Director, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
• Mr. Richard S. Celli, Director, City of Houston, Housing  and Community Development Department
• Mr. Horace C. Allison, Senior Vice President, Housing Authority of the City of Houston

Panel Two

• Mr. John Henneberger, Director, Texas Low-Income Housing Information Service
• Mr. Robert Muhammad, Chief Executive Officer, A.C.T.I.O.N. CDC
• Ms. Debra Junor, Member, Texas Tenants’ Union
• Ms. Toni McElroy, President, Texas ACORN
• Mr. Daniel Bustamante, Executive Director, Greater Houston Fair Housing Center
• Mr. Gordon Quan, Founding Partner, Quan, Burdette, and Perez, on behalf of  the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
• Mr. Manuel Lopez, Housing Director, Tejano Center for Community Concerns
  

Available Member Statements:

Printed Hearing: 110-76

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