More than $9.5 million in grants will be used by 19 Hispanic-serving colleges and universities to help rehabilitate low-income neighborhoods near their campuses, Secretary Martinez announced. The funds also will bring new opportunities to students and working families in those nearby neighborhoods.

Speaking on Thursday at the Fourth Annual U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Town Hall Meeting in Los Angeles, the Secretary said: "The Bush Administration is committed to helping these higher learning institutions build partnerships with neighborhoods and invest in Hispanic communities. These grants will help the colleges address revitalization and economic development needs in their communities."

The grants were awarded under HUD's Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC) program. Grantees use the funds for a wide range of housing and community development projects that improve the quality of life in their communities. Projects include: purchasing local property for community development purposes; clearance and demolition; rehabilitating neighborhood housing for low- and moderate-income people; homeownership assistance for low- and moderate-income residents; lead-based paint hazard reduction; economic development assistance; developing public facilities such as day care; and, job and career-counseling.

HSIAC applicants must be accredited, nonprofit 2- and 4-year institutions of higher learning that have at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time undergraduate enrollment, with at least 50 percent of these Hispanic students being low-income individuals. Approximately 219 HSI-designated schools were eligible to apply for the HUD grants, which were first awarded in 1999.

Read the full news announcement and get details on individual grant awards.

Learn more about HUD's Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities program (www.oup.org/about/hsiac.html), administered through HUD's Office of University Partnerships.