HUD ANNOUNCES $31 MILLION IN GRANTS
TO FUND WELFARE-TO-WORK
INITIATIVE
AT 45 PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES
WASHINGTON -- HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo today announced
that 45 public housing developments will receive $31 million in
grants as part of an intensified effort to move public housing
residents from welfare to work.
"These grants will give people training, education, child
care, transportation and other services needed to help them get
jobs and become self-supporting," Cuomo said. "We are turning
welfare reform from a promising idea into a reality that will
transform the lives of some of the poorest families in America."
The grants are part of a larger effort underway at the
Department to dramatically transform public housing and stimulate
welfare reform. Last week, Cuomo announced Jobs-Plus, a Welfare-
To-Work demonstration project aimed at significantly increasing
employment and income of public housing residents in seven cities
across the country.
Included among the 45 public housing authorities receiving
funds is the Washington, D.C. Housing Authority, which is
receiving a $1 million grant in support of President Clinton's
D.C. Initiative. The funds will provide job training and
employment in an array of fields as well as business development
training and assistance in securing contracts.
Eighty percent of the $31 million in Welfare-To-Work grants
will fund supportive services and economic development efforts
that will enable residents to become self-sufficient, including
employment training and counseling, child care, computer
training, homeownership counseling, basic education courses,
transportation, and health care. Self-sufficiency funds are being
awarded to 34 of the 45 housing authorities.
The economic development portion of the grants also will be
used to fund entrepreneurship training, and the establishment of
credit unions and "micro loan funds" through which public housing
residents can borrow money to establish businesses.
In Lawrence, Mass., the housing authority plans to create a
one-stop shopping career center, which over the next three years
is expected to generate more than 500 new jobs for residents.
The housing authority in Newport News, Va., is working with
local community agencies to expand their existing computer
education training program and begin a Certified Nurses Aid
Program.
In Long Branch, N.J., the housing authority plans to use its
grant to fund a voluntary Family Self-Sufficiency Program, small
business training and development, and to establish a micro-loan
fund and a credit union. The grant also will be used for child
care/teacher's aid training, computer skills training and Home
Health Aide Training. Supportive services will include employment
training and counseling, child care and transportation
assistance, education courses, personal welfare assistance, and
homeownership counseling.
Twenty percent of the $31 million will be used to help the
elderly and disabled living in public housing receive meals,
personal assistance, housekeeping aid, transportation, and adult
day care. Funds to help the elderly and disabled live
independently will be awarded to 15 housing authorities. Cities
receiving both economic development and elderly assistance grants
include Philadelphia, Greenville, S.C., High Point, N.C., and
Portland, Ore.
Each eligible housing authority's grant can be as high as $1
million, and all have established partnerships with local non-
profit agencies or private sector businesses that will assist in
carrying out proposed activities.
Funding for these Economic Development and Supportive
Services (EDSS) grants, part of the Community Development Block
Grant appropriation, was provided through the Omnibus
Consolidated Recessions and Appropriations Act of 1996, which was
passed into law on April 26, 1996.
HUD expects to issue the 1997 notice of funding availability
for the next round of Welfare-To-Work/EDSS grants during the
early part of May as part of the larger welfare reform
initiative.
The 45 cities with the 45 public housing authorities
receiving grants are: AL- Mobile ($1 million); AZ- Phoenix
($999,558); CA- Oakland ($385,000), Oxnard ($163,300), San Rafael
$443,565); CT- Hartford ($368,126), Norwalk ($556,000); D.C.-
Washington ($1 million); FL- Lakeland ($678,000), Tampa
($379,511); IL- Chicago ($295,551); KY- Louisville ($500,000);
MA- Lawrence ($800,000), Lowell ($878,288), Worcester ($1
million); MD- Frederick ($467,700), Kensington ($207,603); MI-
Detroit ($1 million), Watersmeet ($332,292); MN- St. Paul ($1
million); MO- Kansas City ($189,756); NC- Highpoint ($658,385);
ND- New Town ($1 million); NH- Dover ($443,462), Manchester
($780,824); NJ- Long Branch ($500,000), Millville ($989,879); OH-
Warren ($960,639), Youngstown ($998,750); OK- Tahlequah ($1
million); OR- Portland ($999,908); PA- Chester ($271,010),
Philadelphia ($679,510), Pittsburgh ($379,510), West Chester
($290,000), York ($999,900); PR- San Juan ($1 million); RI-
Providence ($500,000); SC- Greenville ($994,762); SD- Rosebud ($1
milllion); TN- Knoxville ($1 million); TX- Houston ($1 million);
VA- Alexandria ($585,500), Newport News ($770,700); WA- Tacoma
($466,863).
Content Archived: January 20, 2009