HUD Announces Grant to Fight Crime in Public
and Federally Assisted Housing in Chicago

"Criminal activities are best addressed through collaboration and cooperation among all segments in public housing communities," said Liu, who presented a check to Terry Peterson, Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Housing Authority, the agency that administers the largest portfolio of federally assisted housing in the City. "Cooperation and the combination of resources demonstrated through this initiative are key to preventing or reversing the harmful effects of crime on neighborhood safety and residents' quality of life."

The funding is part of a $7,936,000 set-aside in HUD's 2005 annual appropriation to support the Department of Justice's programs that investigate, prosecute and prevent violent crime and illegal drug activity in public and federally-assisted low-income housing.

Representing the HUD-assisted housing community in Chicago, Mr. Peterson said, "We cannot begin to measure the significance of HUD's commitment to families in public and other federally-assisted housing. Today's announcement is proof of an abiding determination to see to it that families, especially children, have a chance to live in communities where they can feel safe and proud."

This award will be used specifically for:

Terry Peterson, Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Housing Authority Right: Michael Liu, Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

• $400,000 for law enforcement and community policing activity to reduce crime. For this "weeding" component, a task force will most likely include federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
  
  
• $200,000 for community development and neighborhood restoration purposes that will help prevent crime in federally assisted housing. Examples of this component may include youth activities or substance abuse counseling.
  
  
• $50,000 for the Institute for Law and Justice (ILJ) to provide technical assistance and training. ILJ will primarily have 3 functions:
  

1. assist in the development of comprehensive strategies for "weeding" and "seeding;"
   
   
2. develop standard reporting documents and collecting these documents from grantees that submit them to DOJ;
   
   
3. disburse the funds to the grantees.

Chicago is part of this community-based initiative to increase safety in public and federally assisted housing through a multi-agency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention and community revitalization, with community services and community development programs enhancing those efforts.

Similar funding in Chicago's Weed and Seed sites has helped law enforcement agencies disrupt and dismantle gangs in Chicago's public housing and has ensured the safety of Cabrini-Green's residents by increasing police protection.