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

LITTLE ROCK - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that eight Arkansas cities will receive a total of $7,029,568 million to support community development and produce more affordable housing. HUD's annual funding will also help provide permanent housing for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. A list of
the cities, types of grants received and amounts follows.

"This funding provides the building blocks needed to improve communities," said Donovan. "Now, more than ever,
these grants promote neighborhood development, produce affordable housing, and help extremely low-income
persons find their place in their communities."

The funding announced today includes:

• $  5,242,982 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds;
• $  1,469,149 in HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funding;
• $     317,437 for Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).
  $ 7,029,568 TOTAL

Since 1974, HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program has provided approximately $132 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. Annual CDBG funds are distributed
to communities according to a statutory formula based on a community's population, poverty, and 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 nearly 950,000 affordable housing units, including 403,000 for new homebuyers. In addition,
224,000 tenants have received direct rental assistance.

HUD's Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) grants are distributed to states and cities based on the number of AIDS cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The grants provide resources for operating community residences and providing rental assistance and support services to individuals with HIV/AIDS
and their families. In addition, the HOPWA program also helps many communities develop strategic AIDS housing
plans and fill in gaps in local systems of care. A stable home environment is a critical component for low-income persons managing complex drug therapies and potential side effects from their treatments.

The grantees in Arkansas include:

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