At the end of last week, U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., showcased $498,500 in grants to the NeighborWorks network serving her South Florida district.
The funds “will support efforts to develop and preserve affordable housing, revitalize and sustain neighborhoods, and create jobs.”
“I’m delighted that the funding that I pushed for is going directly to help with the affordable housing crisis facing South Florida,” said Mucarsel-Powell on Thursday. “This funding will create opportunities for working families and help low-income Floridians in our community move up the economic ladder. In 2019 alone, in Florida, NeighborWorks helped create 1,079 new homeowners, helped over 4,600 Floridians find rental homes, and created over 1,100 jobs. This is one of the most pressing issues facing Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys, and I will make sure it remains a national priority. I will continue to be a leading advocate for increased funding for NeighborWorks and affordable housing programs as we negotiate the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.”
“The needs are great in many communities across our nation. Congresswoman Mucarsel-Powell continues to provide bipartisan leadership and commitment to provide much-needed funding to national and local organizations, like NeighborWorks America, Centro Campesino Farmworker Center, Inc., and Rural Neighborhoods, Inc. to address affordable housing and community development challenges. We look forward to leveraging future funding within the Network of Excellence and the Congresswoman’s district,” said Lou Tisler, the executive director of the National NeighborWorks Association.
“We are grateful to Congresswomen Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for leading this successful bipartisan effort,” said Steven Kirk, the president of Rural Neighborhoods. “This crucial funding will allow Rural Neighborhoods to continue working to ensure that rural, migrant and low-income communities have the resources needed to move up the economic ladder. The work we do relies on strong public-private partnerships made possible through investments like this.”
“Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell provides a powerful voice in Washington for our community and ensures that critical issues such as affordable housing and job creation are at the forefront,” said John Martinez, the executive director of Centro Campesino. “The funding will support our ability to provide housing counseling to create prepared new homeowners, renovate and preserve affordable, and provide affordable housing.”
Mucarsel-Powell rounded up more than 100 other members of Congress to send a letter to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee advocating for increased funding for Neighborworks. Congress approved the funds for NeighborWorks. In his current budget proposal, President Donald Trump has called for eliminating the funding.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
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