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| February 28, 2000 | |||
HUD's Gun Lawsuit Threat:
What Do Public Housing Authorities Think?
Last year, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo threatened to organize the nation's 3,000 public housing authorities to file a lawsuit against the gun industry. Secretary Cuomo said he would follow through with his threat if the industry did not reach an acceptable settlement with the 30 municipalities that had already filed suit against it.
The move surprised many. But no one was more surprised than the public housing authorities themselves.
The Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA) quickly criticized Secretary Cuomo's threat [http://www.phada.org/1221gun.html, December 20, 1999]:
"First, there has been no consultation with the public housing industry about the lawsuit. That is why our members are so confused, concerned, and in the case of some, even resentful; all they know about the issue is what they read in the newspapers, hear on radio reports, and see on television.
" . . . HUD cannot presume to speak for 3,000 independent entities governed by locally-appointed boards of commissioners, who are responsible for policy decisions.
" . . . HUD's own statements create the impression that there is broad support for this legal action when there is no consensus industry position on this issue.
" . . . This is a politically-charged and highly controversial matter in which most housing authorities do not desire involvement.
" . . . Housing professionals face enough challenges simply operating their properties and serving residents without getting involved in matters such as this one."
Individually, public housing industry officials were less circumspect in their criticism. The industry publication Housing Affairs Letter reports [December 10, 1999]:
"[Housing industry] trade associations are inundated with E-mail and phone calls from irate members demanding to know why the administration thinks it can force public housing agencies to sue gun manufacturers. They say only the directors of the authorities have a right to make that decision. . . .
" 'The whole thing is absurd,' a public housing industry official tells HAL. 'The housing authorities hardly have enough for operating expenses. It's preposterous to ask them to file a suit and fund the expenses with their revenue.' "
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