HUD Archives: News Releases

MARTINEZ HIGHLIGHTS PRESIDENT'S MINORITY HOMEOWNERSHIP INITIATIVE DURING NEW HAMPSHIRE VISIT

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez highlighted the President's homeownership initiative and visited several elderly housing complexes during a three-city tour in the state of New Hampshire with Congressman Sununu today.

While in Manchester, Martinez and Sununu, joined representatives of Fannie Mae as they presented Manchester Neighborhood Housing Services, an agency that helps low income people through the home-buying process, with a check for $10,000 toward the purchase of computers to enable the agency to extend its homeownership counseling program. Martinez toured the agency and recognized Domingo and Magaly Vega and Beth Jennison, new homeowners thanks to the assistance received from MNHS.

"Last month, President Bush announced 'America's Homeownership Challenge' and set a goal to increase the number of minority homeowners by 5.5 million by the end of the decade," said Martinez. "Today, with Fannie Mae and the Manchester Neighborhood Housing Services we see a great examples of the kind of public-private partnerships needed to reach this achievable goal."

Earlier in the day at Portsmouth, the Secretary announced over $1.6 million in Community Development Block Grants.

"The Community Development Block Grant Program is one of the most successful ways the federal government provides funding for economic development and housing programs to communities across the nation," Martinez said. "For nearly 30 years, CDBG funds have built and rehabilitated homes, fueled business development to create jobs, and improved the overall health of our nation's communities. Instead of trying to impose a one-size-fits-all program on every locality, CDBG funds programs designed by each individual community to best meet unique local needs."

"The Bush Administration and Secretary Martinez have demonstrated strong leadership in addressing housing issue that affect residents of New Hampshire and the nation. The funding and initiatives highlighted today represent a continued commitment on the part of HUD to valuable programs that will help stimulate the local economy, promote affordable housing, and help the homeless," said Sununu

The funding announced today includes:

• Dover will receive $442,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds.
• Portsmouth will receive $829,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds.
• Rochester will receive $373,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds.

HUD's block grant programs are distributed by formula to every locality with a population of over 50,000, and to every county with a population of at least 200,000. The distribution formula also includes, income levels, poverty rates and age of housing stock.

Martinez also stopped in Portsmouth and Nashua during the trip. While in Portsmouth, he toured 1895 Hospital Carriage, an old hospital now being renovated for elderly housing units. Later in Nashua, he toured the Davidson Landing, a complex comprised of 82 elderly housing units.

In the past HUD has funded Davidson Landing complex in Nashua through Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly funds to non-profit groups in the form of capital advances and project rental assistance. To be eligible for the assistance under this program a household must be classified as "very low income," which means an income 50 percent or less of the area median. Martinez has requested level funding of $783 million dollars for the Section 202 program in the FY2003 HUD budget to maintain the level of support to develop facilities like Davidson Landing.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities, creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans, supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet.

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Content Archived: April 9, 2010