Working to release Hope VI funding

The Sun's editorial "Hope for public housing" (April 7) may have incorrectly left readers with the impression that the Bush administration does not support the Hope VI program. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As the Department of Housing and Urban Development has said time and time again, our goal is to encourage communities that have received these highly competitive grants to build housing today, not tomorrow, and certainly not 10 years from now.

In communities such as Baltimore, Boston and Atlanta, Hope VI works in a timely manner.

Indeed, Baltimore has successfully used six Hope VI grants to replace antiquated, dense, drug-infested housing.

Unfortunately, Baltimore is one of the exceptions to the rule. In most cases, in cities around the country, the program has proved to be a slow vehicle for revitalizing distressed public housing.

More than $1.1 billion Congress has authorized for housing projects is sitting at Treasury, waiting for localities to build housing for those most in need.

While HUD has made progress in accelerating Hope VI development schedules, only 80 Hope VI projects out of the more than 230 approved have been completed.

HUD has tried to increase the spending rate, and has even asked Congress to take the money from communities that haven't spent it and provide it to communities such as Baltimore and Atlanta that have.

Our only goal is to force communities throughout the nation to spend the $1.1 billion allocated to build affordable-housing units. For that, we are guilty as charged.

Alphonso Jackson
Washington

The writer is the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.