WASHINGTON, DC -- In an effort to revitalize neighborhoods and provide more Rhode Islanders with access to safe and affordable housing, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Mel Martinez (R-FL) in introducing a bill to reauthorize the successful Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) grant program. HOPE VI provides federal funding to restore dilapidated public housing units and has helped revitalize distressed neighborhoods across the country. In Rhode Island, $20 million in HOPE VI funding is being used to redevelop the former Tonomy Hill, where 498 units of depressed World War II-era military housing will be replaced with 325 rental apartments and 100 homeownership units known as Newport Heights. Locally, the project has sparked widespread renewal including new sidewalks and streets, a daycare center, a new community college campus, and a new condominium complex. "The HOPE VI program has transformed some of our nation's neediest neighborhoods. In Rhode Island we've seen what a positive difference HOPE VI has made in Newport," said Senator Reed. "By wisely investing in HOPE VI we can replicate that success and provide more communities with quality, affordable housing." Since the program started in 1992, over $5 billion has been appropriated for HOPE VI and billions more has been leveraged from the private sector to help revitalize public housing. However, President Bush has proposed eliminating HOPE VI funding for three consecutive fiscal years. As a result, the program has gone from $570 million in 2004 to only $100 million in 2006. "HOPE VI has successfully turned impoverished and distressed housing units into thriving, mixed-income communities," said Reed. "The success of this program can be seen in Rhode Island and throughout the nation, giving hundreds of families a new lease on life. Yet, with an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 public housing units in the United States still considered to be distressed, much more must be done. The bill we are introducing today takes the next step." The HOPE VI reauthorization legislation will expand and improve the program in several ways. In addition to reauthorizing the program through 2012, the legislation will help connect HOPE VI with local school revitalization by requiring that grant recipients establish comprehensive education reform and achievement strategies for the neighborhood schools that serve HOPE VI development. The bill will also improve relocation and supportive services for residents by requiring that they are given the choice to relocate to an area with a lower concentration of poverty, and are offered ongoing supportive services. Additionally, it will ensure that all grantees make the best use of federal dollars by requiring a local government contribution and allowing sanctions if a grantee fails to meet established benchmarks and timelines. "This legislation will help make HOPE VI even more effective and beneficial to people living in these communities," stated Reed. "I am pleased that this reauthorization recognizes the need to address the concerns of families who may face relocation by offering them services to help them through the transition. It is also essential that schools in these communities are able to take advantage of the revitalization of the neighborhood. This legislation will help ensure that children are able to have a better life at home, and at the same time ensure that they are receiving an education that will help them succeed."