HUD ANNOUNCES $7 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN ARKANSAS
Bentonville, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Rogers and Springdale Receive Grants

LITTLE ROCK - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today announced Arkansas will receive
$7 million to promote a variety of community development and affordable housing programs. HUD funding will also provide downpayment assistance to first-time homebuyers and assist individuals and families who might otherwise be living on the streets. Jackson also announced grants to provide real housing solutions for individuals with HIV/AIDS.

"This funding will help build better communities from the ground up," said Jackson. "Whether it's assisting
communities to improve their infrastructure or helping first-time homebuyers to realize their �American Dream,' HUD is helping neighborhoods become better places to live and work."

The funding announced today includes:

• $6,238,442 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds;
• $1,763,510 in HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funding; and,
•     $22,335 in American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) assistance.

Since 1974, HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program has awarded approximately $115 billion to state and local governments to target their own community development priorities. CDBG is one of HUD's oldest and most flexible and popular programs. The rehabilitation of affordable housing and construction of public facilities and improvements have traditionally been the largest uses of the grants, although CDBG is also an important catalyst for job growth and business opportunities. CDBG funds are distributed by formula around the country based on a community's population, poverty, the age of its housing stock, and extent of overcrowded housing.

HOME (HOME Investment Partnerships Program) is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to produce affordable housing for low-income families. Since 1992, more than 600 communities have completed almost 670,000 affordable housing units, including over 282,000 for new homebuyers. In addition, over 138,000 tenants have received direct rental assistance.

Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) help local communities to meet the basic shelter needs of homeless individuals and families. These grants also provide transitional housing and a variety of support services designed to move the homeless away from a life on the street toward permanent housing. This block grant program, along with more than
$1 billion HUD grants awarded by competition, helps thousands of local homeless assistance programs to help those who would otherwise call the streets their home.

A list of the grantees and amounts follows:

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 as well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet and espanol.hud.gov.

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