HUD AND NATIONAL TRUST SIGN NEW AGREEMENT TO HELP PRESERVE AND REHABILITATE HOUSING

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have signed an agreement that both sides say will enhance their long-standing partnership in promoting the preservation and rehabilitation of historic housing, HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo and National Trust President Richard Moe announced today.

"HUD is fully dedicated to preserving our national heritage as we pursue our mission of fostering affordable housing and promoting community development," Cuomo said. "This agreement will help us reach that goal, and we look forward to working with the National Trust as we move forward in this vital effort."

"This agreement formalizes the National Trust’s and HUD’s partnership to encourage sensible development and reinvestment in the buildings and neighborhoods that link us with our past and define us as Americans," Moe said. "The Historic Preservation Advancement Program will integrate the goals of preservation, affordable housing and urban revitalization in an innovative and strategic effort."

Under the agreement, HUD and the National Trust will collaborate on the Historic Preservation Advancement Program, a new initiative designed to maximize the preservation, rehabilitation, and public appreciation of structures for which HUD is responsible.

HUD and the National Trust will convene a working group to implement the program within the scope of HUD’s authority and appropriations and the National Trust’s charter and resources. While historic preservation has long been an integral part of HUD’s work, this new collaboration will enable HUD to focus greater attention on preservation while enabling it and the Trust to share their respective expertise.

Among the specific goals in the agreement are:

• Improve and rehabilitate the nation’s supply of affordable housing through historic preservation;
  
• Promote reuse of older and historic buildings to help revitalize U.S. cities and towns;
  
• Provide jobs and enhanced skills to residents through rehabilitation and restoration activities;
  
• Better identify historic properties proposed for HUD assistance or insurance, or within the inventory of properties HUD controls;
  
• Increase HUD field staff involvement in historic preservation, including outreach to the historic preservation community and others, and identify historic preservation opportunities as a critical part of community growth and revitalization;
  
• Encourage communities to identify and compile inventories of historic properties and use HUD’s electronic resources, such as Community 2020 software, to identify HUD-funded activities and determine their impact on historic properties and districts.
  
• Encourage local and state preservation organizations and other preservation activists to engage their counterparts in the housing and community-development arena, including state and local officials, to promote the use of HUD funds for historic preservation projects and purposes.

The National Trust is a private, non-profit membership organization, dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. With more than a quarter million members nationwide, it provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America’s diverse historic places and revitalize communities. For more information, visit the National Trust’s web site at www.nationaltrust.org