WASHINGTON, D.C., February 1, 2007 – Congressmen Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and Robert A. Brady (D-PA) have led an effort to add $300 million to the Public Housing Operating Fund and to implement other measures to support agencies such as the Philadelphia Housing Authority.

The funds were added by the House Appropriations Committee to the Continuing Resolution for appropriations approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday (Jan. 31). The CR, as it’s known, provides $463 billion to keep the federal government operating through Sept. 30. Now it goes to the Senate and then to the President’s desk.

Reps. Fattah, Brady and Mike Doyle (D-PA) spearheaded the drive to include public housing funds after a short term Continuing Resolution provided just 76.4 percent of what is needed “to operate decent and safe housing in 2007,” according to a Dear Colleague letter signed by the three Pennsylvania legislators.

“Without this funding, housing authorities will be forced to delay repairs to units, reduce security and cut other services that will ultimately result in a loss of housing units available for the neediest households,” wrote Fattah, Brady  and Doyle, who represents Pittsburgh. “The future of safe, affordable public housing for the least among us is at stake.”

Congressman Fattah, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, has championed public housing in Congress and lauded the Philadelphia Housing Authority under Executive Director Carl Greene as the finest in the nation.

Fattah and his two colleagues have also called on the Appropriations Committee to delay the implementation of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Operating Fund Rule which they say is too rigid and will “severely undercut” successful programs.