Congressional Record—House H8703
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
September 23, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8703 The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the right to develop an family self-sufficiency The Chair recognizes the gentle- opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being program for its residents, it shall be entitled woman from Wisconsin. to funding to cover the costs of up to one in the affirmative, the ayes have it. GENERAL LEAVE Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I object family self-sufficiency coordinator, based on the size specified in its action plan for such Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speak- to the vote on the ground that a program. er, I ask unanimous consent that all quorum is not present and make the ‘‘(v) STATE AND REGIONAL AGENCIES.—For Members have 5 legislative days in point of order that a quorum is not purposes of calculating the family self-suffi- which to revise and extend their re- present. ciency portion of the administrative fee marks and to include extraneous mate- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- under this subparagraph, each administra- rials on H.R. 3018. ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the tively distinct part of a State or regional The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Chair’s prior announcement, further public housing agency shall be treated as a objection to the request of the gentle- proceedings on this motion will be separate agency. ‘‘(vi) DETERMINATION OF NUMBER OF COORDI- woman from Wisconsin? postponed. NATORS.—In determining whether a public There was no objection. The point of no quorum is considered housing agency meets a specific threshold Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speak- withdrawn. for funding pursuant to this paragraph, the er, I yield myself such time as I may f number of participants being served by the consume. agency in its family self-sufficiency program FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT I enthusiastically endorse for favor- shall be considered to be the average number able consideration this bill authored by OF 2007 of families enrolled in such agency’s pro- Mrs. JUDY BIGGERT. This, Mr. Speaker, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speak- gram during the course of the most recent fiscal year for which the Department of is much needed legislation to enhance er, I move to suspend the rules and and to improve a program that assists pass the bill (H.R. 3018) to provide for Housing and Urban Development has data. ‘‘(C) PRORATION.—If insufficient funds are families who hold a section 8 housing payment of an administrative fee to available in any fiscal year to fund all of the voucher with the goal of leading to eco- public housing agencies to cover the coordinators authorized under this section, nomic independence. costs of administering family self-suffi- the first priority shall be given to funding Under the Family Self-Sufficiency ciency programs in connection with one coordinator at each agency with an ex- Program, public housing agencies work the housing choice voucher program of isting family self-sufficiency program. The with welfare agencies, schools and the Department of Housing and Urban remaining funds shall be prorated based on the number of remaining coordinators to businesses to develop a program that Development. gives participating Family Self-Suffi- The Clerk read the title of the bill. which each agency is entitled under this sub- paragraph. ciency families the skills and experi- The text of the bill is as follows: ‘‘(D) RECAPTURE.—Any fees allocated under ences necessary for them to obtain em- H.R. 3018 this subparagraph by the Secretary in a fis- ployment that pays a living wage. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- cal year that have not been spent by the end Now, this is not an expensive pro- resentatives of the United States of America in of the subsequent fiscal year shall be recap- gram. In my State of Wisconsin, for ex- Congress assembled, tured by the Secretary and shall be available ample, eight public housing authorities SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. for providing additional fees pursuant to sub- have successfully competed for Family paragraph (B)(ii). This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Family Self- Self-Sufficiency Programs with awards Sufficiency Act of 2007’’. ‘‘(E) PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.—Within six months after the date of the enactment of ranging from $34,000 up to only $47,000. SEC. 2. ADMINISTRATIVE FEES FOR FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM this paragraph, the Secretary shall publish a b 2215 COSTS. proposed rule specifying the performance Subsection (h) of section 23 of the United standards applicable to funding under But while it is expensive, it’s inex- States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. clauses (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (B). pensive. It is very successful. 1437u(h)) is amended by striking paragraph Such standards shall include requirements While my home public housing au- (1) and inserting the following new para- applicable to the leveraging of in-kind serv- thorities in Milwaukee do not antici- graph: ices and other resources to support the goals pate the section 8 family self-suffi- ‘‘(1) SECTION 8 FEES.— of the family self-sufficiency program. ciency programs, they do have a public ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall es- ‘‘(F) DATA COLLECTION.—Public housing housing family self-sufficiency pro- tablish a fee under section 8(q) for the costs agencies receiving funding under this para- graph shall collect and report to the Sec- gram in its second year, which is very incurred in administering the self-suffi- similar to the section 8 self-sufficiency ciency program under this section to assist retary, in such manner as the Secretary families receiving voucher assistance shall require, information on the perform- program. through section 8(o). ance of their family self-sufficiency pro- They have linked in really creative ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY FOR FEE.—The fee shall grams. way to a ‘‘Make Your Money Talk’’ provide funding for family self-sufficiency ‘‘(G) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall program. It’s a wealth-building pro- coordinators as follows: conduct a formal and scientific evaluation of gram that is partnered with the Wis- ‘‘(i) BASE FEE.—A public housing agency the effectiveness of well-run family self-suf- consin Women’s Business Initiative serving 25 or more participants in the family ficiency programs, using random assignment of participants to the extent practicable. Not Corporation, and they have 39 families self-sufficiency program under this section enrolled. shall receive a fee equal to the costs of em- later than the expiration of the 4-year period ploying one full-time family self-sufficiency beginning upon the enactment of this para- Based on prior outcomes, partici- coordinator. An agency serving fewer than 25 graph, the Secretary shall submit an interim pants have used their savings gen- such participants shall receive a prorated evaluation report to the Congress. Not later erated from family self-sufficiency to fee. than the expiration of the 8-year period be- start a business or purchase a home. ‘‘(ii) ADDITIONAL FEE.—An agency that ginning upon such enactment, the Secretary One resident in particular, a resident of meets minimum performance standards shall shall submit a final evaluation report to the the Westlawn housing development, receive an additional fee sufficient to cover Congress. There is authorized to be appro- priated $10,000,000 to carry out the evalua- has started her own cleaning business the costs of employing a second family self- that has become quite successful. sufficiency coordinator if the agency has 75 tion under this subparagraph. or more participating families, and a third ‘‘(H) INCENTIVES FOR INNOVATION AND HIGH Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of such coordinator if it has 125 or more partici- PERFORMANCE.—The Secretary may reserve my time. pating families. up to 10 percent of the amounts made avail- Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the ‘‘(iii) PREVIOUSLY FUNDED AGENCIES.—An able for administrative fees under this para- gentlelady for her comments, and I agency that received funding from the De- graph to provide support to or reward family would yield myself time as I may con- partment of Housing and Urban Development self-sufficiency programs that are particu- sume. for more than three such coordinators in any larly innovative or highly successful in Mr. Speaker, as the author of H.R. achieving the goals of the program.’’. of fiscal years 1998 through 2007 shall receive 3018, the Family Self-Sufficiency Act, I funding for the highest number of coordina- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- strongly encourage my colleagues to tors funded in a single fiscal year during that period, provided they meet applicable ant to the rule, the gentlewoman from support this important legislation. size and performance standards. Wisconsin (Ms. MOORE) and the gentle- First, let me thank Congresswoman ‘‘(iv) INITIAL YEAR.—For the first year in woman from Illinois (Mrs. BIGGERT) WATERS for working with me to include which a public housing agency exercises its will each control 20 minutes. the language of this bill in the section VerDate Aug 31 2005 06:23 Sep 24, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00123 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K23SE7.204 H23SEPT1 wwoods2 on PROD1PC60 with HOUSE H8704 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 23, 2008 8 reform bill, H.R. 1851, the Section 8 cessfully make ends meet, raise chil- consume to the gentlelady from Texas Voucher Reform Bill Act of 2007, which dren, get an education, secure a job and (Ms. GRANGER). the House passed on July 12 of last year achieve the dream of homeownership. Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I was by a vote of 333–83. What better way to help more of our unable to get here in time to speak Not to anyone’s great surprise, the neighbors in need than to support this about an issue I feel very strongly Senate has yet to take up this larger bill today.