News Release

HUD ANNOUNCES ALMOST $20 MILLION UNDER THE RECOVERY ACT TO ELEVEN NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES
Grants will increase energy efficiency, upgrade public housing and create jobs

NEW YORK - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan awarded almost $20 million in competitive grants to eleven public housing authorities across New York State. (Attached is a listing of grantees and awards). The funding, part of $500 million recently awarded nationwide, allows public housing authorities to build or renovate affordable rental apartments and make existing public housing units more energy efficient. The Public Housing Capital Funds being awarded today are provided through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).

Most of the New York housing authorities will receive funds to create energy efficient communities by rehabilitating existing public housing units. The agencies will have resources to install new energy efficient technologies to conserve energy, such as Energy Star appliances, high-efficiency boilers/furnaces and programmable thermostats or controls. However, two of the authorities, Albany and Niagara Falls, will receive funds that will allow them to proceed with redevelopment or replacement of housing developments that were stalled because of a lack of private financing. This funding essentially fills the gap in private capital to allow work to continue.

"The grants being awarded should give hope to families across the country that more affordable housing opportunities are on the way," said Donovan. "This Recovery Act funding will not only give housing authorities the resources they need to jump start production of affordable housing, but it will also reduce energy costs and mitigate negative environmental impacts, while creating much-needed 'green' jobs across the country."

In February, just eight days after President Obama signed the Recovery Act into law, HUD allocated nearly $3 billion in Recovery Act funding to more than 3,100 public housing authorities across the U.S. Distributed by formula, that funding is already being put to work to improve public housing and create safer, more livable environments for lower income residents.

The funding that was announced last week is part of an additional $1 billion in Public Housing Capital Funds designated by the Recovery Act to be awarded competitively. HUD accepted applications under this program from public housing authorities between June 22 and August 18. Grants under the program are now being awarded to public housing authorities that effectively addressed the requirements in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) under the following four funding categories:

Category 1 - Improvements Addressing the Needs of the Elderly and/or Persons with Disabilities?: $95 million will soon be awarded to improve public housing units and create community facilities for the delivery of supportive services to this vulnerable population.

Category 2 - Public Housing Transformation: $96 million out of $100 million was awarded on September 3 to transform public housing developments that are distressed and a blighting influence on the surrounding community into newly built or renovated developments.

Category 3 - Gap Financing for Projects that are Stalled Due to Financing: $200 million of the $500 million being awarded today fall into this category, which allows PHAs to develop or renovate public housing projects stalled due to lack of resources.

Category 4 - Creation of Energy Efficient, Green Communities: $600 million is being awarded for public housing authorities to create more energy efficient public housing units. Applications were due for this category on July 21, 2009. Within this category, applicants could apply under Option 1 for substantial rehabilitation or new construction or Option 2 for moderate rehabilitation.$300 million of the $500 million awarded today fall under Option 2 of this category. Option 1 of this category was awarded September 18, totaling $300 million.

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HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.