OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES OVER $20 MILLION TO FUND HOUSING FOR VERY LOW-INCOME SENIORS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN NORTH CAROLINA

GREENSBORO - Thousands more very low-income senior citizens and persons with disabilities in North Carolina will have access to affordable supportive housing thanks to $20,347,100 in housing assistance announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These grants will help non-profit organizations produce accessible housing, offer rental assistance, and facilitate supportive services for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

The grant funding awarded under HUD's Sections 202 & 811 Supportive Housing programs will kick start construction or major rehabilitation for more than 170 housing developments in 42 different states and Puerto Rico. In North Carolina, more than 120 elderly households and persons with disabilities will be affordably housed with access to needed services. A detailed summary of North Carolina grants is attached to this release.

"The Obama Administration is committed to helping our senior citizens and persons with disabilities find a decent, affordable place to live that is close to needed healthcare services and transportation," said HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. "Recent bipartisan changes to these two supportive housing programs will allow us to better serve some of our more vulnerable populations who would otherwise be struggling to find a safe and decent home of their own."

Enacted early this year with strong bipartisan support, the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act and the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Act provided needed enhancements and reforms to both programs. Nonprofit grant recipients will now receive federal assistance that is better leveraged and better connected to state and local health care investments, allowing greater numbers of vulnerable elderly and disabled individuals to access the housing they need even more quickly.

Section 202 Capital Advances will provide $545 million nationwide to 97 projects in 42 States and Puerto. In addition to funding the construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of multifamily developments,  HUD's Section 202 program will also provide $54 million in rental assistance so that residents only pay 30 percent of their adjusted incomes. Section 202 provides very low-income elderly persons 62 years of age or older with the opportunity to live independently in an environment that provides support services to frail elderly resident.

Section 811 Capital Advances will provide $137 million nationwide to assist very low-income persons with disabilities through 92 projects in 35 states. An additional $12.6 million will be available for project rental assistance contracts. Most of the housing supported through the Section 811 Program will be newly constructed, typically small apartment buildings, group homes for three to four persons, or condominium units that are integrated into the larger community. Residents will pay 30 percent of their adjusted income for rent and the federal government will pay the rest.

HUD's Section 811 program provides housing for households with one or more very low-income individuals with a disability. Under this program at least one person must be 18 years or older and have a physical or developmental disability or chronic mental illness. The program provides persons with disabilities the opportunity to live independently in their communities by increasing the supply of rental housing with the availability of supportive services.

HUD provides these funds to non-profit organizations in two forms:

• Capital Advances. This is funding that covers the cost of developing, acquiring, or rehabilitating the development. Repayment is not required as long as the housing remains available for occupancy by very low-income elderly persons for at least 40 years for (under Section 202) or very low-income persons with disabilities (under Section 811).
  
  
• Project Rental Assistance Contracts. This is funding that goes to each development to cover the difference between the residents' contributions toward rent and the cost of operating the project.

Residents must be "very low income" with household incomes less than 50 percent of their median for that area. However, most households that receive Section 811 assistance earn less than 30 percent of the median for their area. Generally, this means that a one-person household will have an annual income of about $13,500.

A listing of grants awarded to North Carolina communities is presented in the tables below:

Section 202 Grant Awards in North Carolina

Section 811 Grant Awards in North Carolina

Section 202 - Supportive Housing for the Elderly

Project Location: Hendersonville, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: Housing Assistance Corporation
Co-Sponsor: North Carolina Housing Foundation Inc.
Capital Advance: $3,610,000
Three-year rental subsidy: $2

Project Description: The funds will be used to construct 24 one-bedroom apartments for elderly adjacent to a LIHTC property for elderly. The property will meet the standards of EarthCraft Multifamily green building program and include energy efficient appliances. Residents have access to civic offices, grocery, public library, restaurants, parks within walking distance and private door-to-door transportation service.

Project Location: Lexington, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: United Church Homes & Svcs Inc.
Capital Advance: $4,718,500
Three-year rental subsidy: $321,600
Number of units: 30

Project Description: The funds will be used to construct 30 one-bedroom apartments for the elderly in a three-story elevator building. The community space will include a multipurpose room with kitchen, tenant storage, laundry room and screened porch. The development will meet the standards for EarthCraft Multifamily green building program and contain energy efficient appliances. Residents have easy access to supportive services, civic offices, shops, library, restaurants and parks within walking distance and public transportation service.

Project Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: NC Housing Foundation Inc.
Capital Advance: $1,887,400
Three-year rental subsidy: $128,700
Number of units: 12

Project Description: The funds will be used to rehabilitate an existing building which was previously a wing of a hospital. There will be 12 one-bedroom apartments in a two-story building and will feature a roof-top terrace. A community room will be multi-purpose for visiting, activities and education. Laundry facilities will be located on both floors. The project will achieve LEED Silver standards and appliances and equipment will be ENERGY STAR rated.  Within walking distance are social services, grocery, drugstore, churches and public transportation.

Section 811 - Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities

Project Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: The Arc of North Carolina, Inc.
Co-Sponsor: The Arc of Orange County, Inc.
Capital Advance: $940,900
Three-year rental subsidy: $64,500
Number of units: 6

Project Description: The funds will be used to construct six units for very low income persons with developmental disabilities located in Chapel Hill, NC. This project will be a two story building with four one-bedrooms and two two-bedroom apartment units. The residents will each have the privacy of their own apartment. The proximity of the site to neighborhood shopping, community recreational areas and bus stop will give the residents convenient access to neighborhood amenities and to the Town of Chapel Hill as a whole.

Project Location: Charlotte, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: Catholic Diocese of Charlotte Housing Corp.
Co-Sponsor: InReach
Capital Advance: $2,008,200
Three-year rental subsidy: $128,700
Number of units: 13

Project Description: The funds will be used to construct eleven one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom units for very low income persons with developmental disabilities and one two-bedroom for the resident manager. Convenient, affordable housing with supportive services will benefit residents with developmental disabilities by providing a stable living environment and allowing them employment and educational opportunities. The site is located in a growing area of South Charlotte. It is surrounded by market rate multifamily communities and nearby amenities.

Project Location: Charlotte, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: The Affordable Housing Group of NC Inc
Capital Advance: $1,159,600
Three-year rental subsidy: $85,800
Number of units: 8

Project Description: The funds will be used to construct eight, one-bedroom units for very low income persons with development and physical disabilities and persons chronically mentally ill located in Charlotte, NC. The location is in close proximity to services such as medical, shopping and public transportation. This independent living apartment will allow residents to achieve and maintain a suitable living environment through community based education and the production of quality affordable housing.

Project Location: King, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: Christian Village, Inc.
Co-Sponsor: NC Housing Foundation Inc.
Capital Advance: $1,803,900
Three-year rental subsidy: $128,700
Number of units: 12

Project Description: The funds will be used to construct a single, one story brick apartment consisting of twelve one-bedroom units for very low income persons with physical disabilities to be located in King, NC. The facility will be modest, with features and amenities supportive of various disabilities. Community spaces will include a multi-purpose activity room which can be used for educational programs or a place where residents can entertain visitors. Services are designed to meet the needs of the residents, and provide flexibility for activities.

Project Location: Monroe, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: The Arc of North Carolina, Inc.
Capital Advance: $724,800
Three-year rental subsidy: $53,700
Number of units: 5

Project Description: The funds will be used to construct five one-bedroom units for very low income persons with development disabilities located in Monroe, NC. This project site is located in a quiet residential community close to downtown. There are numerous amenities nearby including shopping, restaurants, churches, social service organizations and medical facilities.  In addition to the employment opportunities that may be afforded the residents by these local businesses, transportation will be provided by Union County Transportation.

Project Location: Shelby, NC
Non-Profit Sponsor: Reinvestment in Communities of Gaston County, Inc
Capital Advance: $2,174,400
Three-year rental subsidy: $150,300
Number of units: 15

Project Description: The funds will be used to construct two buildings; with fourteen, one-bedroom units for very low income persons who are chronically mentally ill and one, one-bedroom unit for a resident manager. The project is located in Shelby, NC. The apartments blend in with the neighborhood and encourage interaction among residents and between residents and neighbors. This integrated model allows residents to walk to shopping and services in the nearby downtown Shelby area, also the site is served by transit.

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