HUD ANNOUNCES $67,814 IN HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA
Funding Helps 25 New Families Find Affordable Housing

OMAHA, NE - The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $67,814 for 25 new rental-assistance vouchers to the West Central Nebraska Joint Housing Authority to help low-income families rent apartments or buy homes.

The West Central Nebraska Joint Housing Authority is one of two housing agencies in Nebraska to receive the new Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV), approved in HUD's 2002 budget. The Agency's HCV program currently assists more than 122 families.

"These new vouchers will help more West Central Nebraska families find affordable housing," said HUD Assistant Secretary Michael Liu.

The West Central Nebraska Joint Housing Authority vouchers are part of the $95 million in vouchers HUD awarded today to 48 states and Puerto Rico. The vouchers will allow 16,460 low-income families to lease or purchase homes
or apartment units. The two housing agencies in Nebraska received $451,425 for 101 new vouchers today.

HUD's Housing Choice Vouchers Program is the federal government's major initiative that helps low-income families, including the elderly and disabled, afford housing. The HCV Program currently assists 1.8 million families with rent payments. Over the past three years, about 300 families have used their vouchers to become homeowners. Families receiving HUD rental assistance vouchers generally pay 30 percent of their income for rent, with HUD subsidies
picking up the remainder.

The vouchers distributed today are called "fair share vouchers" because they are distributed to communities that compete based on the housing needs of low-income families in each state. Only public housing authorities (PHAs)
that demonstrated an ability to use 97 percent of their 2001 vouchers were eligible to compete for the new
vouchers.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, 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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