WASHINGTON – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo, who visited Israel in June at the direction of President Clinton, planned to meet this week in Washington with Israeli officials to continue efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing, create jobs, spark economic growth and revitalize communities in both nations through a new commission.

Officials from the Israeli Construction and Housing Ministry, the Israeli Finance Ministry and from two public housing companies – Amidar and Amigur – planned to meet with Cuomo on Wednesday during a visit to the United States that includes stops in New York City and Baltimore.

The group planned to discuss the new U.S. Israel Binational Commission on Housing and Community Development, which was created by an agreement signed in Israel last month by Cuomo and Israeli Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Levi.

The new Commission – the first of its kind between the United States and Israel – is bringing American and Israeli experts together to learn from each other and to develop new ideas and projects that can be used to benefit both countries. Following up on the visit of Israeli officials to the United States, the Israeli Construction and Housing Ministry will host a similar visit to Israel by American housing industry experts later this year.

"America has a strong partnership with Israel that benefits both our countries," Cuomo said. "Working together, we can find solutions to common problems and build better futures for the people of our nations."

The Israeli delegation visited New York City in the previous week. The Israelis learned about public housing maintenance and revitalization being carried out by the New York City Housing Authority; reviewed Real Estate Investment Trusts with real estate finance lawyers; discussed affordable housing with local non-profit housing developers; and toured the Harlem Empowerment Zone and an elderly housing development.

In addition to meeting with Cuomo and other HUD officials, the Israelis were spending Monday and Wednesday in Washington this week to tour several affordable housing developments run by the District of Columbia Housing Authority to see how HUD programs are used to provide housing to low- and moderate-income families.

The Israelis were headed to Baltimore on Tuesday, where some of the nation’s worst public housing has been transformed into some of the nation’s best through HUD’s HOPE VI program. The delegation was scheduled to see examples of how a community can be transformed through a comprehensive integration of housing and economic opportunity.