HUD AWARDS $2,999,640 FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL CALIFORNIA
Grants designed to create jobs & affordable housing in ten communities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $2,999,640 to ten rural housing programs in California to stimulate economic development, create jobs and produce more affordable housing. The funding is provided through HUD's Rural Housing and Economic Development Program. The grants announced today are part of $25 million HUD is awarding to 85 rural housing programs throughout the country.

"These grants will create jobs and produce critically needed affordable housing throughout rural areas of our country that are desperate for both," said Donovan. "We are committed to an economic recovery that is sustainable and reaches every corner of our country, including rural communities that are so important to our nation's economic health."

Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria in Loleto, CA will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development grant award in the amount of $300,000. This Federally Recognized Indian Tribe will provide homeownership opportunities for 52 tribal families, provide job training for at least eight chronically unemployed
tribal members, construct 52 housing units, create two businesses, and eight new jobs. The proposed leveraging
for this project is $708,700.

Big Pine Paiute Tribe will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development grant in the amount of
$300,000. This funding will be used to provide homeownership opportunities to low-income Native American minority families in the Big Pine service area by helping HUD assisted renters in the project to become homeowners. Six homebuyers units will be made available to six families. Three units will be used for emergency shelter, relocation housing and rental units. Partners for this project include the Big Pine Paiute Tribe, the Big Pine's Community Development Native Housing and Self Determination Act, the Tribe's Environmental Department, the Tribe's Historic Preservation Department and HIS. The proposed leveraging for this project is $443,400.

Community Assistance Network will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development grant in the
amount of $300,000. This funding will be used to construct a Prefab Warehouse which can modify shipping
containers into suitable building components. Partners for this project include: Del Norte County's Department of Health & Human Services and Community Alliance Network. The proposed leveraging for this project is $150,000.

Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $300,000. This funding will be used to develop a model housing retrofit and energy upgrade program in Huron and Firebaugh, CA. The proposed leveraging for this project is $160,800.

Hoopa Valley Housing Authority will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development grant award in
the amount of $300,000. This funding will be used to complete construction for 15 buildings pads to support installation of 5 duplexes and 10 single family homes. The proposed leveraging for this project is $971,000.

Quechan Tribally Designated Housing Authority will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $300,000. This funding will be used to provide installation of solar panel for electrical generation for tribal homes to assist tribal members in reducing utility bills. The proposed leveraging for this project
is $180,432.

Walking Shield will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $300,000.
This funding will be used to relocate 75 homes, the creation of 15 new jobs and the provision of infrastructure and healthcare support for approximately 1,000 individuals. Partners for this project include: Mountain Home Air Force
Base and Duck Valley Reservation. The proposed leveraging for this project is $7,875,000.

Bishop Paiute Tribe will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of
$299,640. This funding will be used to install solar water heating systems in housing units located on the Bishop
Paiute Reservation to reduce energy cost to low-income housing occupants. The proposed leveraging for this
project is $320,319.

Self-Help Enterprises will receive an Innovative Housing and Economic Development Grant in the amount of $300,000. This funding will be used to jump start a low-income home ownership program in the unincorporated community of Goshen, CA. The grant will be used to improve marketing efforts, implement a new sweat equity
model, and incorporate new green building, energy efficiency, and universal design components for the 41 homes planned for low-income homebuyers. Partners for this project include: USDA Rural Development, CalHome and Self-Help Enterprises. The proposed leveraging for this project is $208,994.

Yurok Tribe will receive an Economic Development and Entrepreneurship for Federally Recognized Indian Tribes
grant award in the amount of $300,000. This funding will be used to create new job opportunities for tribal
members and to create a commercial enterprise that will allow the Tribe greater local control over the fate of their commercial salmon catch. The facility will provide meaningful, full-time, year-round employment for 12 to 20 tribal members that will be economically viable, and environmentally sustainable. The proposed leveraging for this grant
is $1,370,000.

Rural Housing and Economic Development (RHED) grants support land acquisition, new home construction, housing demolition, infrastructure improvements and construction training. Other possible uses include homeownership and financial counseling; financial assistance to homeowners, businesses and developers; creating microenterprises and small business incubators; and establishing lines of credit or revolving loan pools to benefit the local business community.

Qualified applicants are local rural nonprofit organizations, community development corporations, federally
recognized Indian tribes, State housing finance agencies and/or local economic development agencies. Since 1998, RHED grants have provided nearly $250 million, creating/training more than 41,000 jobs, assisting nearly 6,300 businesses and producing nearly 16,000 affordable homes.

Rural communities will use this funding as seed money to pay the start-up costs for housing or economic
development projects. These grants will also help organizations to hire and train their staffs, develop strategic
plans and acquire office space and other needed facilities.

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