EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN RURAL HOUSING HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY NINETY-FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN RURAL HOUSING JULY 20, 22, AND 23, 1976 Serial No. 51 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1976 76-992 O COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY PETER W. RODINO, JR., New Jersey, Chairman JACK BROOKS, Texas ROBERT W. KASTENMEIER, Wisconsin DON EDWARDS, California WILLIAM L. HUNGATE, Missouri EDWARD HUTCHINSON, Michigan EARL C. DUDLEY, Jr., General Counsel KENNETH N. KLEE, Counsel RAYMOND V. SMIETANKA, Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS JOHN F. SEIBERLING, Ohio M. CALDWELL BUTLER, Virginia ALAN A. PARKER, Counsel JANET M. MCNAIR, Assistant Counsel (II) CONTENTS Anders, Gideon, deputy assistant director, technical services, Arredondo, Rudolph, Rural Housing Alliance Cannon, Hugh, Deputy Director, Office of General Counsel, Com- munity Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cavanaugh, Gordon, executive director, Housing Assistance Council Conn, Paul, Director of Multifamily Housing Loan Division, U.S. Thacker, Elmara, Research Division, Housing Assistance Council Tippins, William, Equal Opportunity Office, U.S. Department of Add.tural material Fm.HA Finance Office, initial section 502 loans on nonfarm tracts Brief hst ry of the Farmers Home Adnamstration, February 1976.. Alysis of Farmers Home Administration housing loan applications Boidie, J. Paul, Assistant Secretary for Administration, U S. Depart- Hang Ass, tance Čo anuals May 1976 Report "Housing of Min ·ri- Memorandum of Understanding on use of section 8 of the US beet, in 515 deans approved by EmHA with section 8 rental asustanice Appendixes- Appendix 2.-Correspondence containing Hon. Don Edwards request women.. Appendix 3.-Letter dated June 4, 1976 from subcommittee chairman Hon. Don Edwards to the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Hon. Earl L. Butz... Page 235 278 336 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN RURAL HOUSING TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1976 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:37 a.m., in room 2237, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Don Edwards (chairman of the subcommittee] presiding. Present: Representatives Edwards, Drinan, and Butler. Also present: Janet M. McNair, counsel, and Roscoe B. Starek III, associate counsel. Mr. EDWARDS. The subcommittee will come to order. I am pleased this morning to call to order the first day of subcommittee hearings on equal opportunity in the rural housing programs of the Farmers Home Administration. The Farmers Home Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administers at least seven housing programs which are designed to upgrade the living conditions of America's ill-housed rural residents. In fiscal year 1975 Farmers Home provided rural housing loans and grants amounting to well over $2 billion, and this subcommittee is opening these hearings today to examine whether our minority population, living in a disproportionate share of substandard rural housing, is benefiting fairly from the distribution of such funds. Four years ago, as part of an extensive housing oversight effort, we received testimony from the Farmers Home Administration, and we issued a report in 1972 finding serious fault with that agency's lack of appeal procedures for those denied its loans. Now, in the 94th Congress, we have again undertaken efforts to examine the degree to which Federal housing programs are promoting fair, equal, and integrated housing. We heard from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in March of this year, and we will hear from the Farmers Home Administration during this series of hearings. Our first witness this morning is Mr. Michael R. Masinter, an attorney with Florida Rural Legal Services in Homestead, Fla. Mr. Masinter, who is deputy director of Florida Rural Legal Services, is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. He joined Florida Rural Legal Services in 1973 and since that time he has become very familiar with the operation of Farmers Home-financed projects in the Florida communities where he works. We welcome Mr. Masinter today to present his views on the adequacy of Farmers Home enforcement of the nondiscrimination requirement in its housing programs. Mr. Masinter, you may proceed. (1) |