HUD ANNOUNCES $23.6 MILLION IN RECOVERY ACT GRANTS TO ADD AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING, "GREEN" EXISTING PUBLIC HOUSING IN FLORIDA
Grants will increase energy efficiency, reduce costs of public housing while creating green jobs

MIAMI - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan awarded $23,654,688 in competitive grants today that will allow public housing authorities in Florida build or renovate affordable rental apartments and make existing public housing units more energy efficient. The Public Housing Capital Funds being awarded today are provided through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). A full
list of grants awarded today can be found on HUD's Recovery Act Website.

Today 134 housing authorities across the country will receive funds to create energy efficient communities by rehabilitating existing public housing units. The agencies, 15 of them located in Florida, will have resources to install new energy efficient technologies to conserve energy, such as Energy Star appliances, high-efficiency boilers/furnaces and programmable thermostats or controls. In addition, 34 housing authorities will receive funds
that will allow them to proceed with redevelopment or replacement of housing developments that were stalled because of a lack of private financing. This funding essentially fills the gap in private capital to allow work to continue.

"The grants being awarded today should give hope to families across the country that more affordable housing opportunities are on the way," said Donovan. "This Recovery Act funding will not only give housing authorities the resources they need to jump start production of affordable housing, but it will also reduce energy costs and
mitigate negative environmental impacts, while creating much-needed 'green' jobs across the country."

In February, just eight days after President Obama signed the Recovery Act into law, HUD allocated nearly $3 billion
in Recovery Act funding to more than 3,100 public housing authorities across the U.S. Distributed by formula, that funding is already being put to work to improve public housing and create safer, more livable environments for lower income residents.

The funding being announced today is part of an additional $1 billion in Public Housing Capital Funds designated by
the Recovery Act to be awarded competitively. HUD accepted applications under this program from public housing authorities between June 22 and August 18. Grants under the program are now being awarded to public housing authorities that effectively addressed the requirements in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) under the
following four funding categories:

Category 1 - Improvements Addressing the Needs of the Elderly and/or Persons with Disabilities: $95 million will soon be awarded to improve public housing units and create community facilities for the delivery of supportive services to this vulnerable population.

Category 2 - Public Housing Transformation: $96 million out of $100 million was awarded on September 3 to transform public housing developments that are distressed and a blighting influence on the surrounding community
into newly built or renovated developments.

Category 3 - Gap Financing for Projects that are Stalled Due to Financing: The $13,635,000 million being awarded today in Florida falls into this category, which allows PHAs to develop or renovate public housing projects stalled due to lack of resources.

Category 4 - Creation of Energy Efficient, Green Communities: $10,019,688 million is being awarded in Florida
for public housing authorities to create more energy efficient public housing units. Applications were due for this category on July 21, 2009. Within this category, applicants could apply under Option 1 for substantial rehabilitation
or new construction or Option 2 for moderate rehabilitation. The grants awarded today are under Option 2.
Option 1 of this category was awarded September 18.

###

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to sustaining homeownership; 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.