HUD AWARDS $1.2 MILLION TO AID MASSACHUSETTS SENIORS, FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING
Funding allows seniors, disabled to maintain independence, gives families access to education and training

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this week awarded $1.2 million in grants to assist senior citizens, disabled individuals and families living in public housing in Massachusetts.

The funding is provided through HUD's Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Program.  ROSS grants
are awarded to public housing authorities (PHAs), resident organizations or non-profit organizations acting on behalf
of residents to encourage self-sufficiency among public housing residents.  

HUD has awarded $350,000 to the Cambridge Housing Authority, $250,000 to the Holyoke Housing
Authority, and $250,000 to the Quincy Housing Authority under the ROSS Family and Homeownership program, which links residents with supportive services, including education, job and computer training and homeownership counseling that put families on the track to self-sufficiency. This funding is part of $33.3 million awarded nationwide.

In addition HUD has awarded $350,000 to the Springfield Housing Authority under the ROSS Elderly and Persons with Disabilities program, which links senior and disabled residents with resources that permit them to live independently longer, such as health and wellness programs, meal services and transportation to medical services. This funding is part of $16.6 million awarded nationwide.

"This funding helps a wide range of people who live in public housing," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. "It
gives families the resources they need to get the education or training they need to find jobs.  It also helps our
most vulnerable - seniors and the disabled - with supportive services that allow them live on their own."

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

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NOTE: For more information on how the grants will be used, please contact the grantees. For more information
on the ROSS program, or other HUD programs and services, please contact Kristine Foye at (617) 994-8218.