HUD SECRETARY ANNOUNCES $10 MILLION IN MICHIGAN GRANTS; TOURS FAITH-BASED HOUSING INITIATIVE

DETROIT - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez today announced $10 million in assistance for housing and community development programs in four Michigan communities during a tour of a successful faith-based housing organization.

"These funds will create jobs, affordable housing, help homeless people become self-sufficient and increase homeownership," said Martinez. "We hope to give local communities the tools to tackle local challenges from the ground up."

More than $7 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) will assist communities to stimulate economic development, rehabilitate housing, improve infrastructure, provide job training, finance revolving loan funds and finance other locally determined projects.

Nearly $2 million of the funding in HOME grants will construct and rehabilitate affordable housing, assist low-income residents to purchase, build and renovate homes and will assist tenants in paying their rent.

The funding announced today includes:

Clinton Township - $668,000
Michigan State University - $240,000
Oakland County - $6.5 million
Port Huron - $1.6 million
Redford Township - $1 million

Martinez today toured St. Anne's Cooperative Apartments and the Ser Casa Academy in southwest Detroit. Both are part of a focus on new construction by the Bagley Housing Association (BHA), a faith-based nonprofit organization that builds housing for low and moderate-income families in the Hubbard-Richard communities of southwest Detroit. The BHA is partially funded with CDBG money.

Here is a summary of HUD funding for each of the communities:

Clinton Township - $688,000 in Community Development Block Grants funds for programs including parks and recreation, sidewalks, single-family rehabilitation, Home Chore, the senior center building expansion study, South Gratiot redevelopment and administration costs.

Michigan State University - $240,000 to Michigan State University's Center for Urban Affairs for a capacity building grant under HUD's Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) program. MSU will use the grant to provide training and technical assistance to public housing resident commissioners and resident council leaders and will encourage networking and positive working relationships among participants. Approximately ten public housing agencies and resident organizations are participating in this effort.

Oakland County - $4,924,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for housing rehabilitation, public facilities improvements and code enforcement; $1,490,000 under the HOME program for housing rehabilitation of approximately 75 low- to moderate-income homes and home buyer assistance; and, $142,000 in Emergency Shelter Grants for homeless programs.

Port Huron - $1,160,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for activities such as street paving, housing rehabilitation, the Pathway Shelter, lead abatement, Walk About program, Adopt A Block, Project Brush Up and administrative costs; and, $489,000 under the HOME program to fund affordable housing initiatives, Habitat for Humanity projects and the Urban Pioneer program.

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