HUD PROVIDES RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO 215 PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN MASSACHUSETTS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that 215 non-elderly Americans with disabilities will receive housing assistance to enable them to access affordable housing. Public housing authorities across the Massachusetts will receive $2,236,093 to this population through HUD's Rental Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities Program. For a local breakdown of the rental vouchers
announced today, visit HUD's website.

The grants announced today are part 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 and espanol.hud.gov.