HUD No. 00-34
Further Information:	For Release
In the Washington, DC area: 202/708-0685	Friday
Or contact your local HUD office	February 17, 2000

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HUD AWARDS $1 MILLION TO WEBB COUNTY, TEXAS

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today awarded a $1 million grant to Webb County, TX to improve living conditions for thousands of poor families living in economically distressed areas of the county known as the colonias.

The grant was made under HUD's Neighborhoods Initiative program. The funds will be used to construct indoor bathrooms and rehabilitate and reconstruct housing in the most economically distressed areas of the county.

"This grant will help thousands of families in the colonias in Webb County to gain access to vital services such as plumbing, which most of us take for granted," said HUD Deputy Secretary Saul Ramirez, who visited Webb County today to present the grant. "It will be an important step towards achieving a decent quality of life for families along the border."

Ramirez presented the award to county officials at a dinner in Laredo sponsored by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), where he was honored for his contributions to Latino communities in the U.S. Ramirez is the former mayor of Laredo.

Approximately 14,000 residents in Webb County are living in the colonias without running water or sewer service. These residents are also in need of other vital services such as health care, and job training and placement. Income levels for Webb County are among the lowest in Texas.

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