HUD Archives: News Releases

HUD AWARDS $44 MILLION TO REVITALIZE SEVERELY DISTRESSED PUBLIC HOUSING IN BOSTON AND TAUNTON
Boston and Taunton Housing Authorities among eight cities selected nationwide

BOSTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Regional Administrator Barbara Fields today announced $22 million in funding to support the second phase of the redevelopment of the Old Colony public housing development in Boston and $22 million to support the redevelopment of Fairfax Gardens public housing in Taunton. The Boston Housing Authority plans to demolish 223 units of public housing and replace it with 169 affordable rental apartments. The Taunton Housing Authority plans to demolish 150 units of public housing and replace it with 160 on and off-site
mixed-income rental units and 30 HOPE VI funded, Loan to Purchaser soft mortgages. The grant funding announced today is part of $153 million awarded to eight public housing agencies across the country through HUD's HOPE VI Revitalization Program to transform severely distressed public housing developments into mixed-income communities. (see below for project descriptions)

"HOPE VI's track record of improving housing conditions for thousands of families across the country is exceptional," said Fields. "As we move toward the next generation of neighborhood revitalization-one that links housing, education, transportation, healthcare, and other support services-we start with the building blocks of success and lessons learned from implementing HOPE VI."

"As we invest in cities and towns across the Commonwealth, communities need resources to provide quality and affordable housing solutions to foster community development," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. "Governor Patrick and I thank the Obama Administration for awarding HUD grants to both Boston and Taunton Housing Authorities, and we also thank our congressional delegation for their continued support of public housing resources."

"When Mayor Crowley told me that this project was a very high priority for the city of Taunton I put a great deal of effort into persuading both federal and state housing authorities to approve it. I am very pleased that our efforts were successful," said Congressman Frank.

The eight housing authorities announced today were selected among 36 public housing authorities that applied for FY2010 HOPE VI Revitalization funding. Six of the grantees will be funded from FY2010 HOPE VI appropriations; two awards will come from FY2011 funding. Later this year, HUD will conduct a competition to award $65 million in
FY2011 funding to implement the Department's new Choice Neighborhoods Program.

"HOPE VI funding is used to rehabilitate the most severely distressed public housing. It helps transform neighborhoods and maintain much needed affordable housing in communities all across the country. The HOPE VI program is always
in danger of being eliminated or severely cut and I have been fighting to preserve it for years. It is encouraging to be here today to highlight a tangible example of why this funding is so important to our neighborhoods," stated Congressman Capuano.

"As someone who grew up here at Old Colony, lived here for 15 years with my mom and dad and five sisters, I want
to thank President Obama, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and all my colleagues in the Senate and House who have supported public housing during these difficult times," Congressman Stephen F. Lynch said. "This $22 million in HOPE
VI funds will create jobs while revitalizing Old Colony, improving the quality of life for the good families who live here.
I congratulate Bill McGonagle and the Boston Housing Authority for securing such a significant grant that will be leveraged into additional state and city funds for Phase II of Old Colony's revitalization."

HUD awarded high marks to applicants who plan to extend neighborhood transformation efforts beyond public housing linking housing interventions with early childhood education programs. The Obama Administration is challenging communities to build upon the HOPE VI lessons to employ a comprehensive approach to community transformation. Choice Neighborhoods aims to transform neighborhoods of poverty into viable mixed-income neighborhoods with access to economic opportunities by revitalizing severely distressed public and assisted housing and then linking
these neighborhoods to well-functioning services, effective schools, public transportation and jobs.

"This is an exciting day, not only for the residents of Old Colony but for all of Boston," Mayor Menino said. "I want to applaud those here in the City who worked so hard on the application process and I want to thank HUD for believing as I do that this is a worthy project. Once again, through grants like these we continue to prove Boston's strong vitality and tremendous future."

Housing authorities are competitively selected for HOPE VI grants based on many factors including the effectiveness and project readiness of their revitalization plans. HUD gives recipients the flexibility to develop revitalization plans that meet their local needs. Among other criteria, grantees are selected based on the capacity of their housing authority and its development team to administer and manage completion of the revitalization effort; the severity of physical distress of the development; the ability of the housing authority to supplement the HOPE VI grant with funding from other sources, private, state or local government; the ability to provide supportive services to displaced residents; and the proposed green development and energy efficiency strategies.

Since 1993, HUD has awarded 260 HOPE VI Revitalization grants to 133 housing authorities- totaling nearly $6.3 billion. HUD began awarding HOPE VI grants following a 1992 report by the National Commission on Severely
Distressed Public Housing that found approximately 86,000 public housing units in the U.S. needed revitalization.
HOPE VI Revitalization grants are used for an array of activities, including: demolition of severely distressed public housing; acquisition of sites for off-site construction; capital costs of major rehabilitation; new construction and
other physical improvements; costs for mobility counseling and relocation; and community and supportive service programs for residents, including those relocated as a result of revitalization efforts.

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Taunton Housing Authority, MA - Fairfax Gardens: The HOPE VI Revitalization grant in the amount of $22 million will enable the Housing Authority to revitalize the Fairfax Gardens public housing development. This is the Housing Authority's first HOPE VI Revitalization grant. Fairfax Gardens is comprised of 150 barrack-style units, all of which will be demolished and replaced with a total of 160 on and off-site mixed-income rental units and 30 HOPE VI funded, Loan to Purchaser soft mortgages. The 160 rental units will include 103 public housing/Low Income Housing Tax
Credit (LIHTC) units, 10 LIHTC-only units, 37 Project Based Housing Choice Voucher/LIHTC units and 10 market-rate units. Of these units, 88 will be on-site and 72 will be off-site. Community and Supportive Services (CSS) will also be provided to all impacted families. THA has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with TRIUMPH and the Old Colony YMCA, providers of high quality early childhood education in Taunton. Both are NAEYC accredited and will provide parental involvement and support components.

Boston, MA - Old Colony Phase II: The HOPE VI Revitalization grant in the amount of $22 million will enable the Housing Authority to revitalize the Old Colony Phase II public housing development. This is the BHA's fifth HOPE VI Revitalization grant. The revitalization project (Phase I and Phase II) is comprised of 285 units. A total of 116 off-site units in Phase I are currently being developed with Capital Fund Recovery Competition funds. There will be a total of 169 on-site units in Phase II (funded by this grant). A total of 223 units will be demolished in connection with Old Colony Phase II. Of the 169 units to be constructed in Phase II, there will be 102 public housing/Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) rental units, 42 Housing Choice Voucher/LIHTC, and 25 LIHTC-only units. Community and Supportive Services (CSS) will also be provided to all impacted families. BHA has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), Boston's Head Start and Early Head Start Provider, which operates early education programming at Old Colony. The community center being developed at Old Colony will house core programs and activities, including the Head Start Early Education Program, which will benefit infants and toddlers.