HUD AWARDS 200 MORE RENTAL ASSISTANCE VOUCHERS TO IDAHO HOUSING FINANCE ASSOCIATION TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

BOISE - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that 200 of non-elderly Idahoans with disabilities will receive housing assistance to enable them to access affordable housing. The Idaho Housing and Finance Association has won $904,968 through HUD's Rental Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities Program to support an additional 200 rental vouchers.

"This is great news for Idaho," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Mary E. McBride. "Whether in good or not-so-good economic times, the demand for rental assistance is almost always greater than the supply of rental vouchers. Any time an organization like the Idaho Housing and Finance can compete successfully for these valuable resources, that organization has done very good work on behalf of those it is committed to serving."

Idaho Housing and Finance Association was one of just 46 housing authorities nationwide to be competitively
awarded a total of the $40 million HUD made available last April to help public housing authorities across the country fund rental vouchers for non-elderly persons with disabilities. PHAs could apply for funding under the following categories:

• Category I - These vouchers will be used by non-elderly individuals with disabilities and their families
  access affordable housing in a community that adequately meets their needs. Today's announcement
  is for this category.
  
  
• Category II - Up to 1,000 vouchers will be specifically targeted for non-elderly individuals with disabilities
  currently living in nursing homes and other health care institutions move into the community with rental
  assistance. This category will be announced later this year.

Last year, as part of President Obama's Year of Community Living initiative, HUD and U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) launched a joint effort to provide housing support for non-elderly persons with
disabilities. The interagency collaboration is intended to allow persons with disabilities to live productive
independent lives in their communities rather than in institutional settings. This announcement represents the
first phase of the joint effort.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.