Bipartisan Policy Center Appoints Commission Members for New Effort to Improve U.S. Housing Policy

BPC Housing Commission, led by Secretaries Cisneros and Martinez and Senators Bond and Mitchell, also Announces Schedule for 2012 Regional Forums

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) today announced the full membership of its Housing Commission, which includes 17 business and civic leaders, key housing stakeholders, academics and former senior political figures from both parties.  Former U.S. Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros and Mel Martinez, also a former U.S. Senator, former U.S. Senator Kit Bond and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and BPC Founder George Mitchell were named to lead the Commission in October.

"We are honored that our fellow Commission members have committed to join us in developing recommendations to address the nation's troubled housing sector," said Commission Co-Chair George Mitchell. "Housing is a highly-complex issue and a critical component of our economy. It will take a truly bipartisan group to look at the challenges ahead and develop solutions."

Over the course of the next year, the Commission will craft a package of realistic and actionable policy recommendations that will address the future housing needs of an increasingly diverse American society. The final recommendations will be released in 2013.

Recognizing the need for a new vision for federal housing policy, the Commission aims to bring new approaches and fresh thinking to today's housing issues. The Commission will assess the appropriate role of the federal government in housing by reviewing the effectiveness of the full range of current federal housing supports.  The Commission will meet for the first time later this week. 

"As the U.S. population continues to grow and change, we face new challenges for which we need a thoughtful, well-reasoned plan that addresses the short-term problems and long-term consequences of our current policies," said former Secretary Martinez. "This group of commissioners is positioned to do just that."

"The Commission and its members will strive to create a beacon of hope for those citizens that have seen their American Dreams come crashing down in the recent economic collapse," said Secretary Cisneros. "Through robust, evidenced-based analysis and in-depth deliberations, the Commission will work to develop recommendations that can be considered by members of both parties."

"These leaders have been on the front lines of the housing crisis.  Consensus across this spectrum of stakeholders is critical to the bold, comprehensive reform needed to fix our broken system," said Senator Bond.

The Commission will actively seek input and ideas from the public and thought leaders by hosting regional forums across the country in 2012.  The first forum will be in San Antonio, TX on March 6, 2012; followed by Orlando, FL on April 17, 2012; St. Louis, MO on June 5, 2012; and Bangor, ME on July 25, 2012. 

Members of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Housing Commission:

Co-Chairs:

• Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros
• Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former U.S. Senator Mel Martinez
• Former U.S. Senator Kit Bond
• Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and BPC Founder George Mitchell

Commissioners:

• Carin M. Barth, Co-Founder and President, LB Capital, Inc.
• Ed Brady, President, Brady Homes
• Alfred DelliBovi, President and CEO, Federal Home Loan Bank of New York
• Robert M. Couch, Counsel, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, L.L.P.
• Laurie Goodman, Senior Managing Director, Amherst Securities
• Renee Lewis Glover, President and CEO, Atlanta Housing Authority
• Frank Keating, President and CEO, American Bankers Association
• Bruce Morrison, former Congressman from Connecticut
• Janet Murguia, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza
• Nicolas P. Retsinas, Senior Lecturer of Business  Administration, Harvard Business School
• Nan Roman, President and CEO, National Alliance to End Homelessness
• Ronald A. Rosenfeld, former Chairman, Federal Housing Finance Board
• Robert M. Rozen, Principal, Washington Council Ernst & Young
• Richard A. Smith, President and CEO, Realogy Corporation
• Marilyn Jordan Taylor, Dean of School of Design, University of Pennsylvania
• J. Ronald Terwilliger, Chairman Emeritus, Trammell Crow Residential
• Barry Zigas, Director of Housing Policy, Consumer Federation of America

Director:

• Pamela Patenaude, former HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development

In announcing the formation of the Commission in October, Secretaries Cisneros and Martinez, and Senators Bond and Mitchell participated in discussion on the current state of housing in the U.S. at BPC's headquarters.  Click here to watch the video. For more information about the Commission, please visit our website. 

About the Bipartisan Policy Center:
Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation, and respectful dialogue. With projects in multiple issue areas, BPC combines politically-balanced policymaking with strong, proactive advocacy and outreach.  For more information, please visit our website: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/.

SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center