Rep. Chris Murphy got a bill through the House last night, which would increase spending on new affordable housing for people with disabilities. Murphy said he was inspired by housing issues in Connecticut to get something done nationwide. The bill , which amends existing housing law, gives states more of a say in supportive-housing projects and provides incentives to combine federal dollars with state and private funds, according to Murphy's office. The freshman 5th District congressman named the bill the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2008, after a longtime supporter of such housing from his district. Murphy has talked for months about the problem of rental housing for non-elderly, low-income people with disabilities -- especially concerned about them being placed in housing generally used for much older residents. The newly passed bill would still need to find support or a counterpart in the Senate before it could become law. There are potentially only a couple of weeks left in this congressional session. ...
Anytime
