Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Towns, along with his Democratic colleagues from New York, voted to pass H.R. 5937, which will enable Starrett City, the nation's largest affordable housing development, to remain affordable.

“Access to affordable housing is a serious problem for residents in Brooklyn and across America,” said Congressman Towns. “With the weakening economy and rising gas and food costs, it is urgent now more than ever that we fight to preserve affordable housing for tenants.”

Congressman Towns, Senator Schumer and a host of other officials at the federal, state and city level have been working to preserve the affordability of Starrett City since it was put on the auction block in late 2006. After the initial purchase of Starrett was blocked by HUD and other state and city housing agencies twice last year amid a great deal of public acrimony, the current owners began working with HUD, the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the NYS Housing Finance Agency and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development on a plan that would allow the current owners to sell the property to a preservation purchaser under a pre-agreed framework.  This plan came to fruition today when H.R. 5937, originally introduced by Rep. Towns along with co-sponsors Reps. Velazquez, King, Frank and Waters, passed on the House floor by a wide margin of 345-73. The bill creates the conditions necessary for purchasers of Starrett City to secure the long-term financing necessary to purchase the property, therefore allowing them to keep the units affordable.

“While the passage of this bill is a critical step forward in preserving the affordability of Starrett City, much work remains to be done,” said Rep. Towns. “Rest assured, I will continue to fight for this legislation until it is signed into law.”

Edolphus “Ed” Towns, a former social worker and community activist in Brooklyn, New York, is a 13-term veteran in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represents the 10th Congressional District of New York.  Over his long career, Rep. Towns’ has been actively involved in legislative efforts to improve the quality of life for all Americans.

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