BUSH ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES $3.6 MILLION TO HELP VERY LOW-INCOME ELDERLY AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN NEBRASKA

OMAHA, NE - Very low-income senior citizens and persons with disabilities in Nebraska will be able to find affordable housing thanks to $3,636,500 in grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development. The funding will provide two non-profit developers interest-free capital advances to produce
accessible housing, offer rental assistance, and provide supportive services for the elderly and persons with
disabilities through HUD's Section 202 (Supportive Housing for the Elderly) and Section 811 (Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities) programs. The funding is part of $650 million in grants announced nationwide.

"These grants will help very low-income elderly and persons with disabilities in Nebraska find decent housing that
they can afford," said HUD Secretary Steve Preston. "Neither group should ever have to worry about being able to find a safe place to live."

A Section 202 grant in the amount of $2,439,200 is awarded to Immanuel Health System in Papillion, NE. The grant
will fund the construction of a twenty unit project for low-income elderly persons. The building includes twenty one-bedroom units for residents on the existing Immanuel Trinity Retirement Campus. Residents will have access to the Trinity Wellness Center on site, for use of exercise equipment, and space is available for meetings, gatherings, and classroom opportunities. Transportation will be provided for doctor visits and weekly shopping trips.

A Section 811 grant in the amount of $1,197,300 is awarded to Liberty Centre Services, Inc. in Norfolk, NE. The
funds will be used to construct ten affordable units for very low-income persons with chronic mental disabilities. The project will consist of ten, one-bedroom independent living apartments to be located in close proximity to services
and shopping on one site in Norfolk. Each apartment will have a living room, kitchen/dining area, bedroom, and bath. One unit will be designed to accommodate the needs of individuals with visual and /or hearing impairments, and will include flashing strobe lights for the doorbell and smoke detectors.

HUD's Section 202 Capital Advance Program expands the supply of affordable housing with supportive services for
the elderly. It provides very low-income persons 62-years and older with the opportunity to live independently in an environment that provides the services they need. In addition to funding the construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of multifamily developments, HUD's Section 202 program subsidizes the rents of senior citizens so they can limit their housing costs to only 30 percent of their incomes.

Housing constructed using interest-free capital advances under HUD's Section 811 Program are primarily used in smaller newly constructed buildings, typically group homes for three to four people, or condominium units. Eligible residents pay 30 percent of their income for rent and the federal government will pay the rest. Households must
have one or more very low-income adult with physical or developmental disability or living with chronic mental illness.

The term "person with disabilities" may also include two or more people with disabilities living together, or one or
more persons with disabilities living with one or more live-in attendants. 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 the Section 202 and Section 811 funds to non-profit organizations in two forms:

• Capital Advances. This is funding that covers the cost of developing, acquiring, or rehabilitating the
  development.



• Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC). This is funding that goes to each development to cover the
  difference between the residents' contributions toward rent and the HUD-approved cost of operating the
  project.

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