Local News Release

HUD AWARDS ALMOST $28.7 MILLION IN RECOVERY ACT FUNDS TO ADD NEW RENTALUNITS AND TURN EXISTING UNITS "GREEN" IN BREMERTON, EUGENE, PORTLAND, SEATTLE, SPOKANE & KING COUNTY
Grants will increase energy efficiency, reduce costs of public housing while creating green jobs

SEATTLE – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced $28,693,740 in competitive Recovery Act grants to housing authorities in Bremerton, Eugene, Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver and King County to build or renovate affordable rental apartments and make existing public housing units more energy efficient.

Last Friday, the Secretary announced $21.3 million in similar "green" grants funded by the Recovery Act to the Bellingham, Seattle and Snohomish County housing authorities.

The awards were a part of an announcement made by the Secretary in Denver of $300 million in competitive grants to 134 housing authorities nationwide. 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. In addition, 35 housing authorities 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 today are a perfect example of using the Recovery Act to rebuild the economy stronger and wiser by investing in new and emerging sustainable industries," said Donovan. "This Recovery Act funding will not only reduce energy costs for public housing authorities and mitigate negative environmental impacts, but will also create much-needed 'green' jobs right here in Denver and 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 being announced today 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 has been awarded to transform public housing projects 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 Issues: $200 million will soon be awarded to allow 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. The grants being awarded today fall under this category, Option 1. HUD will award Option 2 grantees in the coming weeks.

The remaining Public Housing Capital Fund competitive grants will be awarded in the coming weeks under the housing for the elderly/persons with disabilities, gap financing for stalled projects and energy efficiency funding categories.

HUD's Capital Fund Program provides annual funding to public housing authorities to develop, finance and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. This funding can be used to make large-scale improvements such as new roofs and for the replacement of plumbing and electrical systems to increase energy efficiency.

The awards announced today under Category 3 and Category 4 includes:

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HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to sustaining homeownership; 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 ad 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.