Rubio’s Efforts To Keep Low Income Housing Tenants Safe:
Legislation Introduced
- May 19, 2016 – The Senate passed legislation that included three Rubio amendments to improve the U.S. Department of Urban Development’s oversight of public housing projects.
- May 16, 2018 – Rubio introduced introduced the Liberty City Rising Act (S.2856), which is legislation that would improve safety standards for public housing complexes located in high-crime areas, such as Miami’s Liberty City and Overtown. Rubio introduced this legislation following his visit in April and May of 2018. Rubio re-introduced this legislation on January 4th, 2019.
- July 14, 2016 –Rubio and Nelson filed a bill to hold slumlords accountable for poor conditions.
- July 18, 2018 – Rubio joined Senators Young, Cantwell, King, Heller, Kaine, Jones, Gardner, and Coons in introducing the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act, which seeks to better understand and respond to America’s affordable housing crisis by creating a bipartisan affordable housing task force.
- January 3, 2019 – Rubio introduced the Safe Temperature Act, and re-introduced the Liberty City Rising Act. The Safe Temperature Act would give the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the ability to require properties receiving federal assistance to safely maintain temperatures between 71 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
- May 1, 2019 – Rubio reintroduced the Housing Accountability Act of 2019, legislation that would hold property owners of low-income housing accountable for poor living conditions.
Global Ministries Foundation
- May 13, 2016 – Rubio tells slumlords at HUD Apartments in Jacksonville: “You Guys Are Disgusting.”
- May 13, 2016 – After shaming slumlords, Rubio calls for criminal investigation.
- May 18, 2016 – Rubio spoke on the Senate floor blasting Global Ministries Foundation.
- May 24, 2016 – Rubio urged the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to open an investigation into Global Ministries Foundation.
- August 3, 2016 – Rubio commented on the federal raid of slumlords at Global Ministries Foundation, which he called for earlier in the year.
- August 11, 2016 – Rubio welcomed report that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Global Ministries Foundation.
- September 22, 2016 – Rubio testified at the Senate Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development’s hearing on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) inspections process.
- July 13, 2018 –Rubio and Nelson urged the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to immediately resolve unanswered maintenance requests for tenants of properties owned by Global Ministries Foundation.
- Eureka Gardens Apartments
- October 9, 2015 – In a letter, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry first informs Rubio and his staff about the conditions he had just seen at Eureka Gardens Apartments.
- October 16, 2015 – Rubio’s staff met with HUD officials in Jacksonville, called Eureka Gardens’ state “alarming.”
- January 21, 2016 – Rubio demanded action from HUD for Eureka Gardens residents after allegations of lead poisoning.
- April 27, 2016 – Rubio discussed the ongoing problems at Eureka Gardens with Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Councilman Garrett Dennis.
- May 12, 2016 – A day before visiting, Rubio discussed problems at HUD’s Eureka Gardens in Jacksonville.
- April, 12, 2017 – Rubio visited Eureka Gardens apartments in Jacksonville with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson.
- November 1, 2018 – Rubio applauded the sale of the Eureka Gardens housing complex in Jacksonville, FL, from Global Ministries Foundation (GMF) to Millennia Housing Development.
- Stonybrook apartment complex
- May 25, 2016 – Rubio met with Riviera Beach Councilwoman Dawn Pardo regarding the deplorable conditions of GMF’s Stonybrook apartment complex.
- September 9, 2016 – Rubio surprised GMF slumlords and visited residents forced to live in deplorable conditions at Stonybrook Apartments.
- August 30, 2018 –Rubio and Nelson and Representatives Hastings, Frankel, Deutch and Mast sent a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development requesting swift approval for any Section 8 Pass-Through Lease requests for a GMF-owned property to protect tenants from unsafe living conditions.
- Windsor Cove federal housing complex
Jones Walker Apartments
- October 26, 2018 – Rubio and Nelson requested that Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson make available the latest reports from the failed Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspection of Jones Walker Apartments in Fort Myers, Florida.
Glorieta Gardens
- December 18,2018 – Rubio U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) called for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig to conduct an investigation and potentially suspend benefits to the owners of Glorieta Gardens Apartments in Opa-locka, Florida.
