WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today said he intends to object to Senate consideration of a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) nominee over the agency’s apparent rush to negotiate new contracts with local housing authorities participating in the Moving to Work demonstration program. Grassley announced his hold on the nomination of Lourdes Castro Ramirez to be the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Office of Public and Indian Housing. A group of housing advocacy organizations is concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding the contract negotiations.
“I recently learned that HUD is negotiating new, ten year contracts with the thirty-nine housing authorities participating in the Moving to Work (MTW) demonstration program. The Office of Public and Indian Housing is also responsible for administering this program but has failed to conduct proper oversight for years,” Grassley said in a statement. “The current contracts don’t expire until 2018 so there’s no need to rush into signing new contracts. Instead, I recommend HUD takes serious steps to address the program deficiencies and determine if this demonstration should continue.”
Grassley’s objection would take place if and when the nomination reaches the full Senate. His statement is available here. A letter from the housing advocacy organizations to HUD is available here.
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