Congresswoman NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ Representing New York’s 12th Congressional District

For Immediate Release June 19, 2001

CONTACT: Michael Day (202) 225-2361

Velázquez Looks to Improve Economic and Employment Opportunities for Public Housing Residents New York, NY–– At a press conference on the Lower East Side, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, D-NY, called upon community activists and public housing residents to work with her to improve the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 3 program, which is intended to provide economic and employment opportunities to low-income individuals. Specifically, Section 3 encourages HUD contractors and subcontractors to provide training and jobs to public housing residents. "Section 3 is a program with great possibilities," stated Velázquez "It has the potential to provide more than just stop-gap employment for our lowest-income citizens. Ideally, it will provide these individuals with access to careers that will enable them to support themselves and their families." However, in New York City, Section 3 has failed to meet these worthwhile goals. Recent town hall meetings have indicated that the two primary problems with Section 3 are its lack of enforceable language and its insufficient training opportunities. Therefore, Representative Velázquez has prepared legislation, which she will introduce later today, intended to correct these problems and provide NYCHA with the tools it needs to implement the program the way Congress intended. The bill, the Housing and Employment Opportunity Reform Act, requires HUD contractors and subcontractors to set aside 30 percent of all labor costs for the hiring of Section 3-eligible employees. It also requires them to work with public housing authorities to seek out and place residents in jobs best suited to their needs and abilities. Finally, it links Section 3 to existing state and local training programs. "We can't expect people to walk out of public housing and be able to lay drywall and operate heavy machinery. We must provide them with meaningful training," stated Velázquez. "That is what my bill is designed to do." Job-training and employment programs will become increasingly important as the public assistance time limits, established in the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, draw near. In several months, thousands of individuals and families will no longer be eligible for federal public assistance. "If Congress and the President are serious about moving people off of welfare and into jobs, we must provide them with the tools they need to succeed. The Section 3 program, with the reforms included in my bill, is such a tool," stated Velázquez. ### Congresswoman Velázquez was elected to Congress in 1992. She represents the 12th District of New York, which includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.