HUD AWARDS FUNDING TO HELP RHODE ISLAND SENIORS, FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING
Funding allows seniors, disabled to maintain independence, gives families access to education and training

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this week awarded $460,260 in grants to assist senior citizens, disabled individuals and families living in public housing in Rhode Island.

The funding is provided through HUD's Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Program.  ROSS grants are awarded to public housing authorities (PHAs), resident organizations or non-profit organizations acting on behalf of residents to encourage self-sufficiency among public housing residents.  

HUD has awarded $350,000 to the Providence Housing Authority under the ROSS Family and Homeownership program, which links residents with supportive services, including education, job and computer training and homeownership counseling that put families on the track to self-sufficiency. This funding is part of $33.3 million awarded nationwide. In addition $210,260 has been awarded to the Central Falls Housing Authority under the ROSS Elderly and Persons with Disabilities program, which links senior and disabled residents with resources that
permit them to live independently longer, such as health and wellness programs, meal services and transportation
to medical services. This funding is part of $16.6 million awarded nationwide.

"This funding helps a wide range of people who live in public housing," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. "It
gives families the resources they need to get the education or training they need to find jobs.  It also helps our
most vulnerable - seniors and the disabled - with supportive services that allow them live on their own."

PHAs can use the funding to hire project coordinators who assess resident needs then link them with appropriate services. They also use it to provide families a full array of educational programs, and job readiness as they move along the spectrum of self-sufficiency. So that residents can take advantage of the education and employment services, this funding also matches residents to supportive services such as childcare and transportation. In
addition, ROSS funding can support after-school and summer programs for youth living in public housing.  In this
way, the program has the potential to serve the whole family.

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.

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NOTE: For more information on how the grants will be used, please contact the Providence Housing Authority at (401) 751-6400, or the Central Falls Housing Authority at (401) 727-9090. For more information on the ROSS program, or other HUD programs and services, please contact Kristine Foye at (617) 994-8218.