HAGERSTOWN, MD – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) held a forum for residents of C. W. Brooks Senior Housing  to talk about the budget problems facing our nation and their likely effect on issues of concern to seniors, particularly Medicare and Social Security.  The C. W. Brooks facility is a new 60-unit, mid-rise affordable housing development for seniors, which was constructed in part with $10 million in federal stimulus funding. 

Senator Cardin is a member of the Senate Finance and Budget committees and was recently appointed to the conference committee to work out extending the payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits and other tax provisions for a full year. 

“Our nation has serious budget problems, but we made certain promises to our nation’s seniors who depend on a strong, solvent Social Security and Medicare,” said Senator Cardin. “I will not renege on the promises that have been made to our seniors. There is a path forward and I am committed to working with my colleagues to preserve programs that are important to Americans while making sure that all Americans contribute to restoring our economy and reducing deficits.  The key to reducing our budget deficit is a fair and balanced approach and I believe it can be done.”

The C.W. Brooks Mid-rise opened in September 2011 and is an example of how federal dollars have helped fund affordable housing for seniors and create jobs.  Construction of the C.W. Brooks facility provided more than 400 construction jobs to 40 contractors in Maryland, and infused roughly $5.6 million into Hagerstown’s economy. 

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