I applaud the House of Representatives’ passage of the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2007 on Thursday, July 14, 2007. This bill confronts the staggering need for public assistance housing. All over the country, local housing authorities and under-privileged residents are suffering with years-long waiting lists for Section 8 housing because of shortages in their communities. Under this new bill, rental assistance opportunities will be expanded, the program will be made more efficient, and more families will be given the opportunity to buy their own homes. Further, to overcome the immediate housing shortage, 100,000 new Section 8 vouchers will be created over the next five years.
As someone who has offered amendments to increase these vouchers for more that a decade, I am particularly proud of the strong bipartisan support for the Section 8 program, as evidenced by the bill passing by a vote of 333 to 83. The House’s overwhelming support of this bill reflects Congress’ understanding of the importance of affordable housing in the lives of the American people.