Kemp Promises Early Steps to Assist Homeless

On the eve of a housing march expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters, the Bush Administration promised Friday “to win this war against poverty, homelessness and despair.”

After meeting with march organizers for nearly three hours at his office, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp signed a letter of understanding commiting the Administration to several early steps designed to ease the dilemma of the homeless, including:

--Next year, at least 10% of the single-family homes in the Housing and Urban Development Department’s inventory will be made available for occupancy by the homeless. HUD now has about 50,000 such homes, mostly from foreclosures, meaning that about 5,000 would be assigned for use by those without shelter.

--The Administration will propose changes in the $2.8-billion worth of community development block grants given to local governments each year “so that they will be used to fight poverty, increase self-sufficiency and opportunity in low-income communities.”

--A vow to “turn the abandoned homes throughout our cities and towns into decent, affordable homes for the homeless and low-income people.” Kemp pledged “to work directly and aggressively with state and local governments to make this happen.”

The secretary presented his letter to Barry Zigas, president of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition and a principal organizer of the three-day protest.

In a handwritten “P. S.” to his letter, Kemp said: “On this occasion of the war on poverty, be assured of my desire to work full time to win this war against poverty, homelessness and despair.”

Organizers of the “Housing Now!” effort hope to muster 100,000 or more for a march and rally on the Mall.

Today’s marchers will include the hard-core homeless, young workers struggling to secure their first mortgages, dozens of politicians and scores of celebrity activists.

Also today, friends and relatives of people who have died of AIDS will march by candlelight from the Ellipse to the Lincoln Memorial. Another 300 names will be added to a huge quilt memorializing more than 12,000 victims, the project’s founder said. It will be on display for the last time in the nation’s capital.