December 2007 Bulletins
BUSH ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES RECORD $1.5 BILLION TO SUPPORT HOMELESS PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE
Released 12/21/07 by HUD
WASHINGTON – A record number of local homeless programs across America will receive an unprecedented $1.5 billion in Continuum of Care grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This historic-level funding will offer transitional and permanent supportive housing to more than 168,000 homeless individuals and families. For a detailed local summary of the projects awarded funding, visit HUD's website. Full release
PTSD Payments Vary State to State
Released 12/21/07 by Military.Com
Veterans coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with debilitating mental ailments are discovering that their disability payments from the government vary widely depending on where they live, a McClatchy Newspapers analysis of Veterans Administration records found. Full release
Gates Hints at Further Iraq Withdrawals
Released 12/21/07 by Military.Com
Defense Secretary Robert Gates held out hope Friday that U.S. forces in Iraq could continue a steady decline next year if security keeps improving - leaving 100,000 by year end. Full release
Oldest WWI Vet Dies at 109
Released 12/21/07 by Military.Com
J. Russell Coffey, the oldest known surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, has died. The retired teacher was 109. The two remaining U.S. veterans are Frank Buckles, 106, of Charles Town, W.Va., and Harry Richard Landis, 108, of Sun City Center, Fla., according to the Veterans Affairs Department. Full release
STATEMENT BY HUD SECRETARY ALPHONSO JACKSON ON NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL'S SUPPORT FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC HOUSING
Released 12/19/07 by HUD
I would like to personally thank the members of the City Council, Mayor Nagin, the public housing residents, and all those who support this common sense effort to build a better future for New Orleans. Today’s vote is a victory for the residents of New Orleans who deserve to live in a socially and economically integrated environment where their children can play safely and families can thrive. We recognize there is a tremendous need for affordable housing throughout the Crescent City and are deeply committed to ensuring that everyone who resided in public housing prior to Hurricane Katrina has the opportunity to return to something better than they left. Full release
HUD SETTLES DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS AGAINST MANAGERS OF ST. LOUIS APARTMENT COMPLEX
Released 12/19/07 by HUD
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced a $170,000 settlement with managers of a St. Louis apartment complex for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act. HUD claimed the mangers of the Ridge Crest Apartments subjected seven families with children to stricter community rules than residents without children. Full release
HUD ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO MAKE 263 UNITS ACCESSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Released 12/18/07 by HUD
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) has signed a Voluntarily Compliance Agreement that will make 263 public housing units fully accessible for residents and applicants with disabilities. Full release
Odierno: Iraq at Its Quietest Since '04
Released 12/17/07 by Military.Com
Violence in Iraq is at its lowest levels since the first year of the American invasion, finally opening a window for reconciliation among rival sects, the second-ranking U.S. general said Dec. 16 as Iraqi forces formally took control of security across half the country. Full release
2007 Bloodiest Year of Afghan War
Released 12/17/07 by Military.Com
2007 stood out for many things in Afghanistan: the death of the last king, Zahir Shah; a jump in the opium crop; an urgent focus on the need to develop the Afghan security forces. But it was the violence that was arguably uppermost, with 2007 the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since the extremist Taliban were ousted from power in late 2001. Full release
U.S. Troops Kill Militant Commander
Released 12/17/07 by Military.Com
U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces killed a senior militant commander responsible for roadside bombings and other attacks in eastern Afghanistan, the coalition said Friday. Full release
Senate Passes 3.5 Percent Pay Raise
Released 12/15/07 by Military.Com
The Senate on Friday passed a defense policy bill that would guarantee mental health evaluations to troops returning from combat and set sconditions on contractors and pricey weapons programs. The bill also authorizes a 3.5 percent pay raise for service members.
Full release
STATEMENT BY HUD SECRETARY ALPHONSO JACKSON ON PASSAGE OF FHA MODERNIZATION LEGISLATION BY THE U.S. SENATE
Released 12/14/07 by HUD
I applaud the Senate's overwhelming passage today of an FHA Modernization bill that will provide hundreds of thousands of hard working American families a safer mortgage option -- whether they're looking to purchase a home or refinance an existing mortgage. HUD's Federal Housing Administration can provide many homeowners with a fairer, more affordable, and more sustainable alternative to costly subprime loans. I especially appreciate the bipartisan leadership of Senators Chris Dodd and Mel Martinez in our effort to reform FHA. Full release
HUD OUTLINES CONSEQUENCES IF DEMOLITION OF LAFITTE IS NOT APPROVED
Released 12/13/07 by HUD
WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today sent a letter to New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin explaining the future of affordable housing in New Orleans would be severely impacted if the City Council does not overturn the Historic Conservation District Review Committee’s (HCDRC) rejection of a plan to redevelop the Lafitte housing project. Full release
HUD AWARDS NEARLY $60 MILLION TO HELP INDIVIDUALS FIND JOBS
Released 12/12/07 by HUD
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $59,115,226 million to hundreds of public housing agencies (PHAs) across the nation to help low-income individuals get job training and employment placement. Full release
BUSH ADMINISTRATION ALLOCATES $3 BILLION TO MEET PROJECTED SHORTFALL IN LOUISIANA'S ROAD HOME PROGRAM
Released 12/10/07 by HUD
WASHINGTON – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today allocated an additional $3 billion to meet a projected shortfall in Louisiana's Road Home Program. Appropriated by Congress, the funds will help reassure thousands of Louisiana homeowners that they will be compensated for their losses following the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Full release
HUD SECRETARY ANNOUNCES DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR OREGON FLOOD VICTIMS
Released 12/10/07 by HUD
WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to certain flood-ravaged counties in Oregon and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, landslides, and mudslides. Full release
Gates Makes Unannounced Visit to Iraq
Released 12/5/07 by Military.Com
Defense Secretary Robert Gates will use his latest unannounced trip to Iraq to assess whether the downturn in violence in parts of the country can be sustained, and whether Iran is working to quell the shipment of arms into Iraq, officials say. Full release
Shorter Iraq Tours Still a Year Away
Released 12/5/07 by Military.Com
The No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq says that 15-month combat tours are too long for U.S. Soldiers but probably won't be shortened until late 2008. Officials have said the long tours, along with too-short periods between deployments, are key stress factors for Soldiers and families. Full release
RENTAL PAYMENTS CONTINUE FOR REMAINING KATRINA/RITA HOUSEHOLDS IN RENTAL HOUSING
Released 12/4/07 by HUD
WASHINGTON – Thousands of residents displaced by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes are continuing to have their rent paid through a new government initiative, the Disaster Housing Assistance Program, which is being administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Full release
