MARTINEZ PARTICIPATES IN FINAL FORUM WITH SPANISH MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT ALVAREZ-CASCOS IN MIAMI, FL
The U.S. and Spain working together to improve the lives of their citizens

MIAMI- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez and the Spanish Minister of Development Francisco Alvarez-Cascos addressed the U.S.-Spain Forum on "Construction Technologies in Housing and Transportation" in Miami, Florida on June 18, 2003. This is the final of a set of forums designed to exchange information between the two nations.

HUD, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Spanish Ministry of Development are co-sponsoring the forum that will consist of two days of presentations by government and private sector representatives from the U.S. and Spain on sustainable building technology, information technology for construction management, new innovative product development, and structural engineering. Participants and presenters will include representatives from state, local, and national governments; private developers, builders, product designers and manufacturers, architects, engineers, construction managers; and urban and regional planners from the U.S., Spain and Latin America.

"Through these forums, the U.S. and Spain have had a great opportunity to learn from each other about important issues such as housing and infrastructure, historic preservation and construction and technologies in housing," said Martinez.

Secretary Martinez and his counterpart Minister Alvarez-Cascos agreed to the forums to encourage closer cooperation between American and Spanish experts during Martinez's visit to Spain March 2002. In November 2002, HUD and the DOT hosted the first forum on housing and infrastructure financing in Washington, DC. In February 2003, HUD the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Spanish Ministry of Development, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation sponsored the second forum on Historic Preservation and Economic Development in Madrid, Spain.

In Madrid, Secretary Martinez and Minister Alvarez-Cascos signed a Memorandum of Understanding that pledged the exchange of delegations, information and research to improve urban planning and management, housing finance systems, mortgage markets, low-cost housing programs, construction technology, and renovation and preservation.

The Spanish Ministry of Development overseas planning and execution of the policies of the Spanish Government with respect to air, sea and public land transportation, postal services, housing and urban development, astronomy, cartography and meteorology. The Ministry also manages the planning and programming of investments and budgets relative to those services.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and for information in Spanish you can visit espanol.hud.gov.

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