HUD Honors 20 State And Local Governments With "Doorknocker Award" For Outstanding Work In Affordable Housing
Wichita, Kansas recognized for model program

WASHINGTON - The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it is recognizing 20 state and local governments around the country with the first national HOME Doorknocker Award for their outstanding work in providing affordable housing to low-income and underserved people. Wichita is among those communities honored for its outstanding affordable housing programs. From building quality homes for migrant farm workers to providing rental assistance to young people aging out of foster care, each community recognized represents a model for developing innovative housing solutions to meet the specific needs in their areas.

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced the awards to fifteen local communities and five state governments for their remarkable work in using federal funding provided through HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The announcement of the Doorknocker Awards also marks the 15th anniversary of the HOME Program, the largest federal block grant program dedicated to producing affordable housing at the local level.

"Whether it's providing homeownership opportunities to lower income families looking to share in the American Dream or designing cutting edge affordable housing, these communities are proof that, working together, we can make a
real difference," said Jackson. "These communities are leading the way toward building better communities and opening more doors to people who are most in need."

Wichita's Homeownership Housing Program (Millair Creek) demonstrates the implementation of a homeownership program by a grassroots organization,
Power CDC, Inc. and city government. Millair Creek is a single-family housing development that is providing affordable homeownership opportunities to low-income families. HUD's HOME funds were used as development subsidy and for down payment assistance and closing costs. Power CDC, a community housing development organization, worked with community partners and the City of Wichita to broaden the scope of the project to include public infrastructure improvements, existing home rehabilitation and the rehabilitation of nearby
public housing units. Power CDC and the Millair Creek development has significantly influenced this traditionally underserved neighborhood through physical improvements and the increase in both affordable housing opportunities and the number of homeowners in the community. Other partners involved in
the Millair Creek Development are Commercial Federal Bank, the Housing
Authority of Wichita and Heart of Wichita Lender Pool which is administered by Community Housing Services
of Wichita/Sedgwick County.

Wichita Vice Mayor Carl Brewer said, "We are extremely proud of the partnership between the City of Wichita and Power CDC. It is a good example of how public/private partnerships make a difference in a community. Power CDC's performance has been outstanding on this project and the City is very excited and proud to share the Doorknocker Award with Power CDC for Millair Creek."

"Millair Creek has brought hope again to this neighborhood and the comments we hear are all positive. People want
to see more developments like this one because it has added so much to the community and because there is such
a great demand for quality affordable housing," Power CDC Executive Director James Abertha said. "Power CDC is proud to be a partner with the city on this project and to be recognized along with the city for what started out as
a dream 12 or 13 years ago and today is a reality."

Each year, HUD allocates approximately $2 billion to more than 600 state and local participating jurisdictions to increase the stock of affordable housing. Since program inception, over 550,000 affordable units have been
completed and nearly 114,000 tenants have received rental assistance through the Department's HOME program.

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