HUD SAYS COMMUNITY FRAMEWORKS OF SPOKANE BREMERTON ONE OF FOUR GROUPS NATIONWIDE TO WIN TOTAL OF $26.5 MILLION IN "SWEAT EQUITY" GRANTS
Community Frameworks will use HUD funding + elbow grease to create sustainable homeownership for 290 families in Washington, Idaho, Oregon Montana

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded more than $5.1 million to
the nonprofit Community Frameworks, Inc. based in Spokane and Bremerton as part of a $26.5 million award of HUD "sweat equity" grants to four organizations to produce 1,500 self-help housing units across the country.

Funded competitively under HUD's Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), Community Frameworks
has committed to building 290 units using the funds and volunteer labor in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.

"These families will become homeowners not only because of our grants, but because they've devoted their own sweat and labor to their American Dream," said Mercedes M. Márquez, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. "Our job is to support sustainable homeownership and these self-help programs do
exactly that."

The following organizations were awarded SHOP funds today:

Community Frameworks is a regional nonprofit organization serving the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Community Frameworks will make Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) funds available
to 26 affiliates to buy land and build or make necessary infrastructure improvements that support new construction and rehabilitation. A portion of the SHOP award will be used for administration of the grant. Affiliates will produce single-family and multifamily dwellings using a variety of ownership types-fee simple, cooperative, condominium, and community land trusts. Completed properties will be sold to low-income homebuyers who contribute a significant amount of sweat equity toward the construction of the unit, in addition to other volunteer labor. Community Frameworks will produce a minimum of 290 housing units.

SHOP grants will be provided to national and regional nonprofit organizations and consortia that have experience in administering self-help housing programs. The funds must be used to purchase land and install or improve infrastructure, which together may not exceed an average investment of $15,000 per dwelling. Grantees may carry out activities directly and/or propose to distribute SHOP funds to local nonprofit affiliates that will acquire and
prepare the land for construction, select homebuyers, coordinate the homebuyer sweat equity and volunteer
efforts, and assist in the arrangement of interim and permanent financing for the homebuyers.

Homebuyers must contribute a minimum of 100 hours of sweat equity on the construction of their homes and/or the homes of other homebuyers participating in the local self-help housing program. Self-help housing or sweat equity involves the homebuyer's participation in the construction of the housing, which can include, but is not limited to, assisting in the painting, carpentry, trim work, drywall, roofing and siding for the housing. All newly constructed
units must receive certification as an ENERGY STAR Qualified New Home and all appliances and products or features which are replaced in rehabilitated units must be ENERGY STAR qualified.

Labor contributed by volunteers also helps buyers who are unable to perform their sweat equity tasks due to disabilities. The sweat equity and labor contributions by the homebuyers and volunteers significantly reduce the
cost of the housing.

###

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.