Rep. Rob Andrews today toured the Baldwin's Run community in Camden to highlight the successful revitalization of this neighborhood to provide additional clean, safe and affordable housing within the City of Camden. Through the help of a $35 million dollar U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Hope VI Grant, which Rep. Rob Andrews helped to secure, the St. Joseph's Carpenter's society has completed the first 49 units of rental housing in the Carpenter Hill section, approximately 50 units in the Baldwin Run rental section and nine single family homes which are ready to be purchased. Rep. Andrews also announced additional federal funding through the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York in the amount of $150,000, which will be used to help complete the remaining phases of this project.
"The need to provide quality affordable housing in South Jersey while reducing incidents of suburban sprawl is constant dilemma for our region. The St. Joseph's Carpenters Society are succeeding in this challenge through the help of the federal government by revitalizing these existing neighborhoods," said Rep. Andrews. "I thank them for their outstanding work to help residents in our region obtain the dream of living in a safe and comfortable home."
The first phase of the Baldwin's Run Neighborhood Revitalization, the Carpenter Hill Section, was completed in December of 2002. Each unit consists of three bedrooms with 1.5 baths with the exception of 4 handicapped units, consisting of 2 bedrooms. There is off street parking, security systems, central air, washer dryer hook-ups, outdoor storage and fenced backyards. The St. Joseph's Society have since completed work on Phase II and have begun work on additional phases of the project. Rep. Andrews is hopeful that this additional $150, 000 in federal funding will help speed this process along.
Rep. Rob Andrews also toured the Dooley House in Camden to address another critical housing need. Through the help of federal funding,the Dooley House provides shelter for children afflicted with HIV/AIDS and other medically fragile children. This federal funding administered through the Ryan White CARE Act through the US Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service is critical to the Dooley House's ability to house and administer care to these children. In 2003, the Ryan White programs received $2,017,966,000 in federal funding but only received $2,023,599,000 in federal funding for 2004. Rep. Andrews has been critical of the House of Representatives Leadership who, despite the President's commitment to aggressively fight HIV/AIDS both home and abroad, provide a mere $5.6 million increase for Ryan White programs. Rep. Andrews chose not to support the legislation that funds these programs on the grounds that it did not contain sufficient funding for worthwhile programs like the Dooley House.
"I am extremely disappointed by the Leadership of this Congress for their refusal to fund key priorities including much needed funding for worthwhile programs like the Dooley House," said Rep. Andrews. "This Congress has plenty of money to squander on wasteful tax cuts that benefit only the wealthiest individuals in the country but they turn their backs on those in the most dire need. It is an outrage."
Congressman Andrews visited the Chesilhurst House For Seniors to conclude his day devoted to improving the availability and quality of affordable housing in South Jersey. The Chesilhurst House is a senior citizen housing development financed by federal funding obtained through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In April of 2002, Rep. Andrews was contacted by the developer of this project to request the Congressman's assistance in convincing the HUD office in Newark to allow this developer to use excess funds left over from this project to outfit each unit with air conditioning. Rep. Andrews personally called the HUD Director and succeeded in freeing up the funding for this purpose.
"Given the age of the tenants of these housing units, the installation of air conditioning was matter of public health. This was a simple solution given that the developer was able to finish the construction phase of this project well under budget," said Congressman Andrews. " This is an excellent use of public resources to provide comfortable, safe and affordable housing for senior citizens in our region. I thank HUD for making the right decision to help keep these seniors safe and cool in the hot summer months."
