Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today awarded $4,810,322 in grants to fight drug abuse and other crimes in public housing and HUD-assisted housing in Washington.

Washington's grants will be distributed to housing authorities and to owners of HUD-subsidized housing for low-income families in the following areas:

• Bellevue..…………………..…$ 94,207
• Bellingham......................$427,538
• Bremerton.......................$430,900
• Everett……………………….$ 75,900
• La Push …………………….$ 50,000
• Neah Bay……………………..$ 73,800
• Nespelem ……………………$128,100
• Seattle….…………………..$1,629,813
• Silverdale…………………….$ 40,800
• Tacoma………………………$396,240
• Tukwila………………………$859,560
• Vancouver……………………$422,500
• Wellpinit…..…………………$180,964

"These grants are good news for some of the poorest families in Washington and bad news for drug dealers who terrorize them," Cuomo said. "We will fight drug abuse with prevention and treatment programs and with a crackdown on drug dealers and other criminals. We are telling drug dealers in HUD housing to find another line of work or be sent to another type of subsidized housing - a prison cell."

Cuomo said the Department's $24.5 billion budget for the 1999 fiscal year, which he called "the best HUD budget in 10 years," will speed the transformation of public and assisted housing.

"HUD is transforming public housing from isolated ghettos of poverty, drugs, despair and crime into safe and economically integrated communities of opportunity," Cuomo said.

Nationwide, HUD is awarding $305.2 million in Drug Elimination Grants this year - more than in any previous year. The grants will be distributed in the next several weeks in this way: $280.6 million to 749 public housing authorities; $8 million to 39 Indian Tribes; and $16.6 million to 143 privately owned housing developments that receive HUD assistance.

Vice President Al Gore, Cuomo and Attorney General Janet Reno announced a four-part enforcement and prevention strategy to fight crime and drugs in public housing in June 1997. The grants announced today are one element of that strategy.

The Drug Elimination Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, based on the seriousness of the drug and crime problem facing a housing authority or assisted housing development, and the strength of local plans to address the problem. About 900 housing authorities, 60 Indian tribes and 500 privately owned housing developments applied for the grants being awarded this year.

HUD has awarded more than $1.6 billion in Drug Elimination Grants since 1989, including the grants being awarded this year.

In public housing, the Drug Elimination Grants are used for: drug prevention, intervention and treatment programs; reimbursing law enforcement agencies for providing additional security; hiring security guards and investigators; resident anti-crime patrols; and physical improvements to housing developments to enhance security - such as fencing, lighting and improved locks.

In assisted housing, the Drug Elimination Grants are used for: drug prevention and education programs; referrals to drug treatment and counseling; and physical improvements to developments to enhance security. Individual grants for assisted housing developments are limited to a maximum of $125,000.

HUD's budget for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 increases funding for HUD's key programs and renewals of Section 8 rental assistance by a total of more than $2 billion in the budget over 1998 levels. Spending was increased on most HUD programs and wasn't cut in any programs.

Legislation passed in the same bill as HUD's budget will:

• Transform public housing by reducing segregation by race and income, encouraging and rewarding work, bringing more working families into public housing, and increasing the availability of subsidized housing for very poor families. In addition, the bill improves living conditions in public housing, gives the poorest families neighbors who will be role models of working families, and reduces crime. The bill also allows HUD to continue to tear down the largest failed public housing projects and replace them with new townhouse-style developments.

• Expand the supply of affordable housing by enabling 90,000 more families to get Section 8 rental assistance vouchers that will subsidize their rents in privately owned apartments - the first increase in vouchers in four years.

• Increase homeownership by raising the limit on home mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration from the current range of $86,317 in low-cost housing areas to $170,362 in high-cost areas. The bill increases the loan limits to a range of $109,032 in low-cost areas to $197,621 in high-cost areas. The higher ceiling on FHA-insured home mortgages opens the door of homeownership to thousands of families needing FHA insurance to get mortgages, but locked out now because the current loan limits have not kept pace with rising home prices.

HUD ANTI-DRUG ASSISTANCE FOR COMMUNITIES IN WASHINGTON

• Bellevue: $94,207 in Drug Elimination Grants to the King County Housing Authority for its anti-drug efforts at Hidden Village Apartments. The Hidden Village Tenants Association, the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club, and the Bellevue Community College will work with the King County Housing Authority to provide an on-site computer learning center for youth and adults, drug prevention education and family support activities. The Housing Authority will also work in partnership with Bellevue Community College to enable residents who are moving from welfare to work to improve skills needed for the workplace.

• Bellingham: $427,538 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Bellingham Housing Authority for programs done in conjunction with the Whatcom Housing Authority. Young people will be able to participate in productive, educational and sports activities together with the local Boys and Girls Clubs. The Police Department will step up activity, and employment and educational opportunities will be made available to public housing residents with the assistance of the Northwest Washington Private Industry Council.

• Bremerton: $430,9000 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Bremerton Housing Authority, which will go toward programs in the Housing Authorities five drug-fighting categories: Prevention through adult and youth services; youth and adult educational opportunities; adult economic opportunities; family support services; and intervention and management philosophy which embraces the "One Strike and You're Out" policy.

• Everett: $75,900 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Snohomish County Housing Authority for programs to provide increase policing, and educational alternative activities for youth done in conjunction with community agencies such as YMCA, Camp Fire Boys and Girls, and Kids On the Block.

• La Push: $50,000 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Quileute Indian Housing Authority for increased police patrols and a year-round program of youth sports and outdoor activities and offer youth drug-free mentors and role models.

• Neah Bay: $73,800 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Makah Nation Indian Housing Authority to provide various prevention activities, and an intervention program to provide monthly activities for youth 5-21 years of age to provide alternative activities.

• Nespelem: $128,100 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Colville Indian Reservation which is beginning a Substance Abuse Prevention Program to provide education and services to residents to help eliminate and reduce substance abuse.

• Seattle: $1,629,813 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Seattle Housing Authority for community policing programs, resident crime prevention and community-based anti-drug activities, youth tutoring, cultural arts education and recreation, and intensive case management. The program relies on a strong partnership with the Seattle Police Department.

• Silverdale: $40,800 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority for its "Prevention in the Right Direction" program, designed to provide positive alternatives to reduce the risk factors that lead to drug abuse and related drug-related crime.

• Tacoma: $396,240 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Tacoma Housing Authority. The funds will go toward the Authority's WON-Winning Our Neighborhoods-Program to prevent drug-related criminal activity, encourage community involvement, and strengthen families.

• Tukwila: $859,560 in Drug Elimination Grants to the King County Housing Authority for its "Working Together" program which includes the community coming together to provide early intervention, job-finding assistance, English as a Second Language training, youth and family support, computer training and many other services.

• Vancouver: $422,500 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Vancouver Housing Authority for activities such as its HOPE (Hands On Programs and Education) project, which includes youth development, leadership, volunteerism, youth sports, and youth employment programs. The funding will also support a coordinator for community safety initiatives such as voluntary tenant patrols and crime watch groups.

• Wellpinit: $180,964 in Drug Elimination Grants to the Spokane Indian Housing Authority. The program will seek to incorporate a Boys and Girls club on the Spokane Reservation. Various preventative methods, such as organizing culturally relevant activities, will be used to combat the problem of open drug trafficking.