Congress to hear from Miss. about use of housing funds

The Clarion-Ledger, 5/7/8

Mississippi’s decision to divert $600 million from a hurricane housing program to a port improvement project will be one of the key topics of a congressional hearing on the use of federal block grant funds.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., will chair Thursday’s hearing in Washington before a House Financial Services subcommittee.

Waters and U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., were some of the most vocal critics of Mississippi’s plan, which won federal approval earlier this year.

Waters said the hearings will provide much needed oversight of Community Development Block Grant programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.