Grayson Increases Spanish-Language Housing Assistance by 50%
Representative Amends Housing Appropriations Bill on House Floor
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-09) has passed an amendment that increases funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Limited English Proficiency (LEP) translation program by 50%. Grayson successfully amended H.R. 2610, the ‘Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014’ last night on the House Floor.
HUD’s LEP translation program is a vital tool in assisting non-English speaking Americans. It ensures that individuals who are not proficient in English know their rights when it comes to housing, understand the terms of housing-related documents (such as leases), and receive important safety announcements about their homes and communities. According to the Obama Administration, the website for the LEP program alone helps approximately 30,000 people each year, and the website is only one component of the program.
“Whether you are buying your first house or just trying to keep a roof over your head, the home is the bedrock of the American Dream,” Grayson explained. “HUD exists to help Americans make that dream a reality. The LEP program provides translations during HUD counseling and translations of important information created by HUD program offices, such as information on public housing, resources for first-time homebuyers, and guides for avoiding foreclosure. Each and every single American deserves equal access to these resources – no one should miss out on this information because he speaks Spanish, or Creole, or Portuguese.”
This is the 13th Grayson amendment to pass the U.S. House of Representatives this year. In addition, Grayson has passed 25 amendments in his committees. Because Grayson leads the House in number of amendments passed, Slate magazine named him the “most effective member of the House.”
Congressman Alan Grayson represents Florida’s 9th Congressional District, which includes Osceola County, as well as parts of Orange and Polk counties. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 8th Congressional District in the 111th Congress.
