BUSH ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $650 MILLION TO HELP VERY LOW-INCOME ELDERLY AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
West Central Florida awarded $20,841,600 to provide local housing and services

TAMPA - Thousands of very low-income senior citizens and persons with disabilities will be able to find affordable housing thanks to more than $650 million in grants announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. West Central Florida agencies received $20,841,600 million. The funding will provide non-profit developers interest-free capital advances to produce accessible housing, offer rental assistance, and provide supportive services for the elderly and persons with disabilities through HUD's Section 202 and Section 811 grant programs.

Two agencies in West Central Florida (Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice and Catholic Charities of the
Diocese of St. Petersburg) received Section 202 grants, and one agency (Boley Centers, Inc.) received a Section
811 grant.  Together, they will provide 152 units of housing and supportive services to the elderly and persons with disabilities.

"These grants will help thousands of our nation's very low-income elderly and persons with disabilities find decent housing that they can afford," said HUD Secretary Steve Preston. "Neither group should ever have to worry about being able to find a safe place to live."

Section 202 Capital Advance ($525.9 million nationwide to assist very low-income elderly)

HUD's Section 202 Capital Advance Program expands the supply of affordable housing with supportive services for
the elderly. It provides very low-income persons 62-years and older with the opportunity to live independently in
an environment that provides the services they need. In addition to funding the construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of multifamily developments, HUD's Section 202 program subsidizes the rents of senior citizens so they can limit their housing costs to only pay 30 percent of their incomes.

Section 811 Capital Advance ($124.5 million nationwide to assist very low-income people with disabilities)

Housing constructed using interest-free capital advances under HUD's Section 811 Program are primarily used in smaller newly constructed buildings, typically group homes for three to four people, or condominium units. Eligible residents pay 30 percent of their income for rent and the federal government will pay the rest. Households must
have one or more very low-income adult with physical or developmental disability or living with chronic mental illness.

The term "person with disabilities" may also include two or more people with disabilities living together, or one or
more persons with disabilities living with one or more live-in attendants. The program provides persons with
disabilities the opportunity to live independently in their communities by increasing the supply of rental housing with the availability of supportive services.

HUD provides the Section 202 and Section 811 funds to non-profit organizations in two forms:

• Capital Advances. This is funding that covers the cost of developing, acquiring, or rehabilitating the development.
  
  
• Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC). This is funding that goes to each development to cover the difference between the residents' contributions toward rent and the HUD-approved cost of operating the project.

WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA FUNDING SUMMARY

Section 202 - Supportive Housing for the Elderly

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice
Project Location: Palmetto, FL
Capital Advance: $8,800,900
Three-year rental subsidy: $597,600
Number of units: 68

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg
Project Location: Tampa, FL
Capital Advance: $8,761,300
Three-year rental subsidy: $597,600
Number of units: 68

Section 811 supportive housing for persons with disabilities

Boley Centers, Inc.
Project Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Capital Advance: $1,943,500
Three-year rental subsidy: $140,700
Number of units: 16

Note: State-by-state breakdown of individual funding summaries is available on the HUD website.

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