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Mike on Affordable Housing

The lack of affordable housing is a chronic problem in the Greater Boston area and I am committed to easing this burden. I have been fighting to create additional affordable housing opportunities, preserve existing affordable housing, protect current housing programs from funding reductions or elimination, and create home ownership opportunities. It is my hope that under President Obama's leadership, our battles on this front will be far fewer.

I have been fighting in Congress for years to protect the Section 8 housing program from funding cuts. I fought to save the federal demo/dispo program by allowing tenants to purchase renovated housing developments and keep them affordable in perpetuity. I was successful in increasing the value of certain section 8 vouchers so that elderly Brighton Village residents would not be forced out of their homes. Maintaining long-term affordability for several local housing complexes that are designated "expiring-use" properties is always a priority. One such development is Cobble Hill in Somerville, where its continued affordability was recently finalized.

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