Local News Release

SECRETARY DONOVAN ANNOUNCES AWARD OF ALMOST $9.9 MILLION IN RECOVERY ACT FUNDS TO 16 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENTS TO REVITALIZE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CREATE JOBS
Anacortes, Bellevue, Bellingham, Kennewick, Kent, Lakewood, Olympia Richland, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane Counties the first of 28 Washington Communities to Receive CDBG-R Funds

SEATTLE – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today approved the award of $9,783,636 in additional Community Development Block Grant appropriated under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act to help stabilize and revive local neighborhoods, rehabilitate affordable housing, and improve key public facilities.

Today's awards provide additional funds to 16 of Washington's 28 CDBG entitlement communities -- Anacortes, Bellevue, Bellingham, Kennewick, Kent, Lakewood, Olympia Richland, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties. The amounts awarded to each will be found in the table below.

"The President's Recovery Act allows us to invest in local solutions to the many challenges our cities and counties are confronting," said Donovan. "Today, I'm pleased to award these funds to these 16 Washington communities to build a real and lasting recovery for themselves and their children."

The Recovery Act includes $1 billion in CDBG funding to assist state and local governments to promote a wide range of community development activities over and above the amounts annually awarded to CDBG entitlement communities under appropriations bills. The funds are intended to help communities stabilize property values, prevent neighborhood blight, meet critical infrastructure needs and, thereby, create and preserve jobs.

Since 1974, HUD's CDBG Program has provided approximately $124 billion to state and local governments to target their own community development priorities. The rehabilitation of affordable housing and the improvement of public facilities have traditionally been the largest uses of CDBG although the program is also an important catalyst for job growth and business opportunities. Under the Recovery Act, recipients shall give priority to projects that can award contracts based on bids within 120 days.

WASHINGTON CDBG ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITIES RECEIVING RECOVERY ACT CDBG-R FUNDS

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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 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.