WHEREAS:

The private sector has completely failed to provide affordable, adequate, safe and sanitary housing for all Americans, particularly minorities, women and low- and moderate-income Americans; and

WHEREAS:

Existing federal legislation has proven to be totally inadequate in dealing with the housing problem; and

WHEREAS:

The Reagan Administration's philosophy of privatization and "getting, government off our backs" has drastically reduced even the present meager federal resources allocated for housing; and

WHEREAS:

Current state and local legislation is not only inadequate but unable both financially and institutionally to deal with the scale of the housing problem; and

WHEREAS:

Non-profit and community-based housing corporations, however well-meaning and successful they may be on a very small scale, do not have the resources to effectively deal with the scale and scope of the national housing problem; and

WHEREAS:

The cost for the construction, rehabilitation, purchase and rental of decent, safe and sanitary dwelling units has increased to the point of virtually putting such housing beyond the reach of working and low-income people today; and

WHEREAS:

One of the tragic results of the above is the dramatic rise in the number of homeless individuals and families; and

WHEREAS:

The anarchy of inadequately planned and funded housing programs on the federal, state and local levels and in the private sector, and the dramatically increasing cost of producing any housing had led to a nationwide housing crisis particularly for minorities, women and low income Americans; and

WHEREAS:

Many neighborhood people, particularly minorities, youth and the homeless, are unemployed and underemployed, and can he trained to rehabilitate vacant houses at jobs paying union scale; and

WHEREAS:

The only way to effectively deal with the housing crisis is through a massive and comprehensive federally planned and funded national housing program.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That the AFSCME 29th International Convention actively pursue federal legislation that would provide for the following:

1. A comprehensive federally planned and funded national housing program which has as its goal providing housing that is affordable, adequate, decent, safe, sanitary and secure as a legal entitlement for every person, with special emphasis on minorities, women and low-income persons.

    

2. The increase in public control of housing finance capital for housing production, ownership and improvement and the decrease of private financing and control over low- and moderate-income housing.

    

3. The construction and rehabilitation of low- and moderate-income housing on a scale that will provide such housing to all who need it, with available resources allocated on the basis of need.

    

4. Public control over the housing planning, design, development, construction and material production process.

    

5. The involvement of residents in low- and moderate-income and minority neighborhood planning and development decisions.

    

6. The right of residents to remain in their neighborhoods or to move to other neighborhoods of their choice, especially with regard to minorities.

    

7. Protect the jobs of public employees who administer the program; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME International Union form coalitions with other unions, housing activists, community, senior and other organizations to strive for the enactment of this legislation.

SUBMITTED BY:

Legislation Committee