HUD AWARDS UTICA 100 VOUCHERS TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Utica is Sole Awardee in New York State

NEW YORK - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development just announced that the City of Utica was awarded $420,660 to house 100 non-elderly citizens with disabilities to enable them to access affordable housing.
The award to Utica is part of a nationwide announcement that will distribute approximately 4,300 rental assistance vouchers to this vulnerable population. The City of Utica was the State's only grantee.

HUD is awarding nearly $33 million nationwide to fund the 4,300 vouchers through its Rental Assistance for
Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities Program.

The grants that were just announced 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
  to 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 to assist non-elderly individuals with
  disabilities currently living in nursing homes or 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 at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.