Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew renewed his call for a federal takeover of the Atlantic City Housing Authority (ACHA) after the board voted to increase a no-bid contract with Kirby Shore Mechanical by $3 million, bringing the total to $5.5 million. This latest move comes amid yet another crisis at Stanley Holmes Village, where burst pipes caused the heat to fail and forced families into hotels, exposing the ACHA's continued failures.

"The ACHA is once again wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on non-competitive contracts and temporary fixes while residents are left to suffer in unsafe and unacceptable conditions," said Congressman Van Drew. "They have proven time and time again that they are incapable of managing public funds as well as providing safe living conditions for their residents. The residents of Atlantic City deserve better than this gross mismanagement. The ACHA is clearly operating without accountability, and the time has come for the federal government to step in. As soon as the new administration is in place I will be meeting with the new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to demand an immediate federal takeover of the ACHA. It is time for real action to ensure these families get the respect and safe living conditions they deserve."