Senate Democrats Will Assess Housing Needs, Urge Reforms

WASHINGTON —  A Senate Democratic task force to assess the nation’s housing needs and recommend reforms in the Department of Housing and Urban Development was named Monday by Majority Leader George J. Mitchell of Maine.

Sen. Alan Cranston of California, named to head the eight-member task force, said one of its purposes will be to prod the Bush Administration to take a position on housing for the disadvantaged.

“There are still people in the Administration who don’t want to see any national housing programs,” Cranston said.

He said the eventual aim is to forge a bipartisan approach on housing and produce a bill President Bush will sign.

“The problems of housing affordability are not going away; they continue to build pressure on millions of Americans,” Cranston said.

“Young families find it harder to buy their first home. Older people can’t find housing that enables them to live with dignity and independence. The supply of decent housing that low-income people can afford is fast disappearing. Homelessness remains a shame on the nation,” he said.

Mitchell said that the task force will issue a report and make recommendations by the end of the year. He said comprehensive housing legislation “will be a high priority for next year.”

Cranston said he believes such a bill should include a sweeping overhaul of HUD.

Other members of the task force are Sens. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut; Bob Graham, Florida; John Kerry, Massachusetts; Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland; Donald W. Riegle Jr., Michigan; Terry Sanford, North Carolina, and Paul S. Sarbanes, Maryland.