BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Congressman Edolphus “Ed” Towns will be joined by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and other elected representatives at a press conference to highlight the importance of maintaining the affordability of Starrett City and advancing legislation to address this important issue.

DATE:  Monday, July 28th

TIME:  10:30 AM

PLACE: The Great Lawn on Pennsylvania Avenue
Between Freeport Loop and Schroeders Avenue (across from HSBC Bank). 
Members of the press are encouraged to begin set up at 10:00 AM.

Background:

On Wednesday, July 23rd, Congressman Towns, along with his Democratic colleagues from New York, voted to pass a housing package, H.R. 3221, by a vote of 272-152.  This bill includes legislation that will enable Starrett City, the nation's largest affordable housing development, to remain affordable. Starrett City was put on the auction block in late 2006, threatening its affordability for tenants. After the initial purchase of Starrett was blocked by HUD and other state and city housing agencies twice last year amid a great deal of public acrimony, the current owners began working with HUD, the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the NYS Housing Finance Agency and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development on a plan that would allow the current owners to sell the property to a preservation purchaser under a pre-agreed framework.

The Senate passed the measure on Saturday, July 26th, and President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law early this week.

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Return to Congressman Towns' website