HUD No. 00-271 | |
Further Information: | For Release |
In the Washington, DC area: 202/708-0685 | Wednesday |
Or contact your local HUD office | September 27, 2000 |
Youth Grant Summary
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HUD AWARDS $40 MILLION IN GRANTS TO TRAIN HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS TO BUILD NEW HOUSING AND NEW LIVES
WASHINGTON Nearly 3,000 high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24 will be trained this year as construction workers while building and renovating low-income housing, thanks to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, which today awarded about $40 million in Youthbuild Program grants.
HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo made the announcement during a series of telephone conference calls to grant recipients from some of the 78 organizations in 33 states and the District of Columbia.
"This program gives new hope to high school dropouts, enabling them to build housing for families in need while building new careers and new lives for themselves," Cuomo said. "Through these non-profit organizations, HUDs Youthbuild Program is helping young people work their way out of poverty."
Dorothy Stoneman, president of Youthbuild USA said, "Under Secretary Cuomos leadership and thanks to the superb work of HUD staff, the Youthbuild Program is successfully bringing thousands of previously disconnected young adults into the workforce and into community development in Americas poorest communities. These students produce affordable housing in their communities while they gain a skill, a GED, a job and a new lease on life. Though the transformation of individuals in the program seems miraculous, it happens all the time."
The grants will fund classes to help the young men and women receive high school equivalency diplomas and provide on-the-job training in homebuilding skills that will qualify them for careers as construction workers. Youthbuild participants would have a hard time finding good jobs without the program, because they lack high school diplomas and job skills.
The Youthbuild participants acquire their construction skills by building and renovating single-family homes, town homes and residential housing units. The units are then sold to low- and moderate-income families, providing much needed affordable housing. Since the programs inception in 1992, about 7,250 homes will have been built or rehabbed by the students.
A total of 273 applicants around the country
competed for the grants. Applicants are public or private non-profit agencies
or authorities, state or local governments, or any other organization eligible
to provide education and employment training under other federal employment
training programs.
HUDs grants are expected to attract another $28.5 million from outside
sources in cash and in-kind resources.
Because of the programs past success President Clinton requested $75 million for it in his fiscal year 2001 budget. However, the House has cut the Presidents request by $30 million and the Senate by $15 million.
More than $215 million in grants have been
awarded by the program since it began.