Deputy Regional Administrator Dan Gomez
02/23/11 Presentation to the Fourth Quarter Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Bo Matthews Center for Excellence
3030 Downing Street
Denver, Colorado 80205

Thank you all for inviting us to see this very special occasion and on behalf of Secretary Donovan and also former City Councilman, Rick Garcia, and also my new boss as s Regional Administrator of HUD's Region VIII, Rick Garcia, who was unable to be here today - we wanted to extend our sincere congratulations to the effort of everyone here today. I think it represents what I refer to as sustainability in action.

Often times you hear the word "sustainability", but "sustainability" in this particular instance is providing homes for some of our most important citizens - the Veterans here of the United States of America (applauding of audience). And I just wanted to make sure that we mentioned that (applauding of audience).

Moving forward I think this also represents not just HUD's participation as part of providing what I refer to as the capacity in the VASH vouchers but also from the stand point of looking at it as the collaborative effort and what it takes to be a community. It took all the efforts, and all the assets, and all giftings that you have in this particular place here today to bring this to fruition. And I think that that's probably the most important thing that we should focus on today is that together we can move forward to make things like this happen.

Earlier on, words that we heard this morning, we focused in the fact that people didn't think this could happen. It can happen. It can happen - just as the President said in his State of Union Address, where he basically said, "we have to start doing what works and stop doing what doesn't!" This works! And this is an example of what communities can do when they come together. This is an example of providing the benefits and blessings we can on those who provided protection and security for us all.

Thank you very much and on behalf of the Housing and Urban Development, congratulations again. (Applaud from Audience).

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