CAMDEN, NJ – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo and Sen. Robert G. Torricelli of New Jersey today announced $5.5 million in grants to help the Camden Housing Authority modernize units and to fight drug abuse in public housing.

Cuomo, who visited the revitalized McGuire Gardens public housing development in Camden with Torricelli and Congressman Robert Andrews, said HUD will provide the Camden Housing Authority with $5 million to modernize public housing and a $511,000 Drug Elimination Grant.

"These are some of the essential programs that will be cut right here in Camden if the House of Representatives goes through with its proposed $2 billion in cuts to HUD’s fiscal 2001 budget," Cuomo said. HUD estimates that cuts approved by a House subcommittee would provide Camden with nearly $1.7 million less and New Jersey with $64.5 million less in HUD funding than President Clinton requested for next year.

"These HUD funds will address pressing needs in Camden by providing affordable housing and helping to keep drugs out of the community," Torricelli said. "Cutting funds for important HUD programs like this will hurt families in need and will hurt communities across New Jersey and across the nation."

At McGuire Gardens, Cuomo and Torricelli saw what will be the first of 253 units revitalized or newly constructed at the development under HUD’S HOPE VI program to transform public housing. The units will be ready for occupancy later this year.

HUD has provided $42.2 million in HOPE VI funds to demolish 132 deteriorated apartments at McGuire Gardens and has rehabilitated 178 apartments and built 75 new units.

The new units will include row homes with one to four bedrooms. All have street frontage, on-street parking, patios, green spaces and recreation aligned in clusters behind the buildings bordered by attractive garden walls.

All of the units at McGuire Gardens will continue to be public housing upon completion of the project. The Camden Housing Authority will continue to own the units, but has the option of having them privately managed.

Under the Clinton Administration, HUD is carrying out the most dramatic transformation of public housing since the program was created in 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The HOPE VI program was created in 1992 as a direct result of the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing report that found nearly 100,000 units of "severely distressed" public housing.