Center for an Urban Future says new government should help housing market

The
Center for an Urban Future has a few suggestions for President-elect
Barack Obama, who takes office on January 20, to help improve the city’s housing market. The New York
City-based research organization suggests the government should restore
funding for public housing and meet federal commitments to the
project-based Section 8 program, which provides vouchers to landlords
who provide low-rent housing for qualifying residents. The center also
said the new government should do more to provide supportive housing
for the mentally ill, and support the federal “right to purchase”
legislation to help preserve affordable housing. This would give residents of
subsidized properties an opportunity to negotiate with owners who want
to sell the buildings or leave an affordable housing program. In
addition, the center said the government should enact new regulations
to prevent predatory equity in multi-family buildings. TRD