HUD NORTHWEST REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR ANNOUNCES THAT YAKIMA ELDERLY HOUSING HAS WON RECOVERY ACT GRANT TO "GO GREEN"
Yakima is First Community to Receive HUD Green Retrofit Grant in Washington State

SEATTLE - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Northwest Regional Administrator Mary E. McBride announced today that Providence House in Yakima has won an $845,366 HUD Green Retrofit grant under the American Recovery Reinvestment Act to make the 48-unit elderly housing complex energy efficient.

The award to Providence House in Yakima, opened in 1985 by Providence Health Services, is the first HUD Green Retrofit awarded to an assisted multifamily property in Washington state. With the funds, Providence House expects to replace all exterior sealing, install new HardiePlank siding and replace all existing HVAC units with Energy Star equipment. Providence House estimates that its energy bill will be reduced by slightly more than 40 percent as a
result of the retrofits. The project also has received CDBG funds from the City of Yakima and a $180,000 grant from the Washington State Office of Industrialization Commercialization.

"This is a four-fer for Yakima," said HUD Regional Director Mary McBride. "Energy costs will be reduced, residents will be more comfortable, the buildings' useful life will be extended and out-of-work or underemployed Yakima trades people will be put back to work."

The award is part of a national Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112
homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations
under the Recovery Act's Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing. The program is providing $250 million nationally to reduce energy costs, cut water consumption, and improve indoor air quality. The remaining awards
will be made on a rolling basis from now through September 30, 2010.

The Green Retrofit Program is designed to create thousands of green jobs as workers retrofit older federally assisted multi-family apartment developments with the next generation of energy efficient technologies. Grants and loans provided through this program help private landlords and property management companies to cut heating and air conditioning costs by installing more efficient heating and cooling systems, and to reduce water use by replacing faucets and toilets. These funds also produce other environmental benefits by encouraging the use of recycled building materials, reflective roofing, and non-toxic products to reduce potentially harmful 'off-gassing' of harmful fumes. Funds are awarded to owners of HUD-assisted housing projects and can be used for a wide range of retrofit activities, ranging from windows/doors to solar panels and geothermal installation.

The Recovery Act included $13.61 billion for projects and programs administered by HUD, nearly 75 percent of which was allocated to state and local recipients only eight days after President Obama signed the Act into law. The remaining 25 percent is being awarded through competitive grant programs, including the Green Retrofit Program.
To date, over 99 percent of HUD's Recovery Act funds are in the hands of local communities, being used to improve housing and neighborhoods, while creating jobs. HUD is committed to implementing Recovery Act investments swiftly and effectively as they generate tens of thousands of jobs, modernize homes to make them energy efficient, and
help the families and communities hardest hit by the economic crisis.

In addition, Secretary Donovan and the Department are committed to providing the highest level of transparency possible as Recovery Act funds are administered. It is vitally important that the American people are fully aware of how their tax dollars are being spent and can hold their federal leaders accountable. Every dollar of Recovery Act funds HUD spends can be reviewed and tracked at HUD's Recovery Act website. The full text of HUD's funding
notices and tracking of future performance of these grants is also available at HUD's Recovery Act website.

###

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.