HUD AWARDS OVER $3.3 MILLION IN EMERGENCY FUNDING TO THE SEARCY HOUSING AUTHORITY IN ARKANSAS FOR CRITICAL REPAIRS

LITTLE ROCK - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $3,333,442 to the Searcy Housing Authority to conduct sewer and plumbing repairs in all of their buildings. The funds were awarded under HUD's Capital Fund Emergency Grant Program.

Emergency Grants are funded through a special Capital Fund national set aside of $17 million, and are awarded to public housing authorities facing unpredictable or unforeseen emergencies that pose a threat to the life, health, or safety of public housing residents. The Searcy Housing Authority has been experiencing ongoing leaks and sewer issues, and today's grant will help the housing authority make critical repairs.

"Capital Fund Emergency Grants are specifically designed to address imminent health and safety issues that confront housing authorities and pose risks to residents," said HUD Regional Administrator Tammye H. Treviño. "Our partners at the Search Housing Authority will use these funds to make needed sewer and plumbing repairs in all of their buildings, helping to ensure a safe and sanitary environment for tenants."

For more than 75 years, the federal government has been working and investing billions of dollars in developing and maintaining public and multifamily housing - including providing critical support through the Capital Fund and Emergency Grants. Still, the nation continues to lose approximately 10,000 public housing units each year, primarily due to disrepair. In 2011, HUD released Capital Needs in the Public Housing Program, a study that estimated the capital needs in the public housing stock in the U.S. The study found the nation's 1.1 million public housing units are facing an estimated $25.6 billion in large-scale repairs. Unlike routine maintenance, capital needs are extensive improvements required to make the housing decent and economically sustainable, such as replacing roofs or updating plumbing and electrical systems to increase energy efficiency.

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