HUD AWARDS $6.5 MILLION IN GRANTS TO HISPANIC-SERVING UNIVERSITIES FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today announced more than $6.5 million in competitive grants to 11 Hispanic-serving colleges and universities to help rehabilitate low-income neighborhoods near their campuses and bring new opportunities to students and working families living there.

'The institutions getting grants today will give Hispanic students in these communities an opportunity for a better tomorrow,' said Jackson. 'The Bush Administration is committed to providing funding not only to improve their lives, but also to address revitalization and economic development needs in their communities.'

The grants were awarded under HUD's Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC) program. Grantees use the funds for a wide range of housing and community development projects that improve the quality of life in their communities. Projects include: purchasing local property for community development purposes; demolition and clearance; rehabilitating neighborhood housing for low- and moderate-income people; homeownership assistance for low- and moderate-income residents; lead-based paint hazard reduction; economic development assistance; developing public facilities such as day care and job training centers.

HSIAC applicants must be accredited, nonprofit 2- and 4-year institutions of higher learning that have at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time undergraduate enrollment, with at least 50 percent of these Hispanic students being low-income individuals. Approximately 219 HSI-designated schools are eligible to apply for the HUD grants, which were first awarded in 1999.

The 11 recipients of HSIAC grants are:

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and 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 and espanol.hud.gov.

See grant summaries attached.

Project Name: Pima County Community College District
Grant Amount: $577,561

Pima County Community College District/Pima Community College - Downtown Campus will use its grant to establish the Education for Economic Empowerment (EEE) program. This program is an expansion of the successful Progress! Program. EEE will be a comprehensive five-level program of life skills, financial literacy, career skills, leadership skills and a service learning experience. The program will offer classes in the target neighborhoods as well as encourage students to perform their service learning projects. Community partners from the financial, non-profit, and government sectors will contribute workshops, employment and other services. The EEE Program will assist lower income single parents from the Flowing Wells Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) and Empowerment Community neighborhoods in the City of Tucson. Between 125 and 150 students will receive training and instruction to become financially self-sufficient; competent with house maintenance, repair and housing laws; and experienced in community service.

Project Name: California State University (CSU), Stanislaus
Grant Amount: $596,399

California State University (CSU), Stanislaus will use its grant to create a multi-service Resource Center that is rooted in self-governance and empowerment for the area's homeless population through the following activities: 1) promote literacy in the homeless community in spoken and written language; 2) establish a Community Participation Committee to engage and connect the homeless to services based upon their self-identified needs; 3) build a system of support to obtain essential identifying documents that will assist in securing jobs and accessing federal, state and local assistance systems; and 4) develop an employment training program that will assist the homeless in becoming employable, then employed, and eventually self-sufficient. CSU Stanislaus faculty and students will be integrally involved in side-by-side collaborative action research projects, problem solving, grass roots organization and public policy development with the area's homeless community.

Project Name: California State University, Fullerton Foundation
Grant Amount: $599,525

California State University/Fullerton Foundation will use its grant to bring together faith-based health providers, educational institutions, the City of Fullerton and civic/community-based groups in a collaborative effort to provide services to a largely Hispanic community in a section of Fullerton, California. The proposed project will provide increased homeownership and rental opportunities for low-and moderate-income persons, minorities and those with limited English proficiency. As part of the project, Cal State Fullerton's College of Business and Economics will provide home purchase preparedness programs for adults. In addition, the CreditSmart program funded by the Freddie Mac Program and HACU will help potential homeowners learn to manage money and establish and maintain credit in order to facilitate home ownership. By providing training in English, computer technology, classes on educational opportunities, and other needed skills, the project will enable residents to take advantage of economic opportunities that will facilitate homeownership.

Project Name: Foundation of California State University Monterey Bay
Grant Amount: $599,912

California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) will use its grant to redevelop Soledad Street and Old Chinatown, meeting both the social service needs of the homeless and the affordable housing needs of the area residents. The project will mobilize CSUMB faculty and student resources to support the City of Salinas Redevelopment Agency and local faith-based organizations to: 1) Facilitate a community-based planning process to develop an integrated vision for the redevelopment of Soledad Street and Old Chinatown; 2) Develop a Homeless Garden/Nursery Project on 40,000 square feet of abandoned land on Soledad Street, providing employment and community-building for the homeless; and 3) Create a Job Training/Micro-Enterprise Incubator Project with the Franciscan Workers which will provide courses in employability and job opportunities for the homeless and poor of the area.

Project Name: Los Angeles Mission College
Grant Amount: $595,085

Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) will use its grant to implement a job-training program along with educational workshops in personal finance and homeownership. The proposed project, consisting of vocational training, home ownership courses, and personal finance workshops, will provide pathways for employment opportunities, career ladders, community recovery, neighborhood stabilization and strengthened families.

Project Name: Southwestern College
Grant Amount: $600,000

The Southwestern College will use its grant to establish a Micro-enterprise Family Child Care Program. The program will consist of 90 coursework hours in Family Child Care Business. The courses will be offered in Spanish and through the Continuing Education program. Southwestern College in collaboration with key community partners will provide several critical services to help participants successfully complete the program and achieve the goal of establishing their own businesses and/or pursuing a Child Development career. This program will give residents the academic and practical training, as well as access to comprehensive support services which are needed to set-up their own home-based, licensed child care business. The target population will focus on the residents of National City, comprised largely of low-income, foreign-born, Hispanic persons with limitations in educational levels attained and English proficiency

Project Name: The National Hispanic University
Grant Amount: $599,650

The National Hispanic University (NHU) and its community partners will use its grant in collaboration with numerous non-profit and government agencies to purchase and renovate a property adjacent to the University to develop El Centro de Excelencia - an Early Childhood Education Center. The Center will consist of three high-quality preschool classrooms; two infant/toddler childcare classrooms; an on-the-job training center for adults seeking certification or university degrees in early childhood education, and an adult education center for parents of children in the center and community.

Project Name: West Hills College Coalinga
Grant Amount: $600,000

West Hills College Coalinga will use its grant to respond to community development needs by expanding their Child Development Center to increase childcare capacity. This project will provide opportunities for low- and moderate-income residents to enroll in educational job training programs and provide an infrastructure to support economic development. The goals of this project is to serve approximately 21 additional infants on an annual basis of which 70 percent are from low-income families, provide safe and adequate parking for parents and OSH compliant play yards and equipment.

Project Name: University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
Grant Amount: $600,000

University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College will use its Hispanic Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC) grant to develop the Valley Business Impact Network (VBIN), a new regional economic development program, that will use techniques and resources developed through a 2002 UTB/TSC HSIAC grant to help businesses start in Brownsville, Texas by creating a business incubator, the International Innovation Center. The VBIN will be a regional approach to using university expertise (faculty and students) to help start, retain and expand businesses in some of the poorest communities of the United States. The VBIN will deploy students to survey local business needs and give follow-up assistance. A new incubator will be developed in Raymondville, Texas and existing incubators in Port Isabel and Brownsville will receive a new community outreach program. All three incubators will be tied into a new business incubator network to facilitate business development on a regional basis.

Project Name: Sul Ross State University
Grant Amount: $599,999

Sul Ross State University (SRSU) will use its grant to construct, develop programming, and pilot test the operation of the Sul Ross Child Care and Family Support Center. The center, which will be built a block from SRSU's main campus on one third of an acre of University-contributed land, will provide day- and after-school care for 60 children who range in ages 1 month to 10 years old each week that SRSU is in operation. At least 75 percent of parents with children in center care will be low income; the remainder will be moderate income. The center will also target SRSU student parents for whom the lack of childcare represents a most significant barrier to success in post-secondary education. In addition to providing child care services, the center will include a Parent Resource Center containing information on parenting skills and fair housing options, and center staff will refer parents needing further counseling or fair housing assistance to area professionals providing these services. Finally, the center will provide practical and observation experience for students in SRSU's Early Childhood Education, Psychology, Fine Arts, Physical Education, and Nursing programs.

Project Name: Heritage University
Grant Amount: $600,000

Heritage University will use its grant and the expertise of faculty, students in partnership with the city and community organizations to address three urgent areas of need: 1) Public Leadership and Civic Engagement - This focus area will create a Public Leadership & Civic Engagement Training Academy to prepare neighborhood residents for public service opportunities. A series of seminars, networking opportunities, mentoring and training on public leadership and civic engagement will be provided. The participants will also undertake community projects as part of their training; 2) Promoting Tourism - Marketing Toppenish - This focus area will work with the newly created Tourism Association to improve the local economy of Toppenish. Heritage will use its faculty and students from the Business Department to assist businesses in a range of marketing projects. These projects will include developing marketing materials, marketing campaigns, business websites and a series of informational tourism presentations. 3) Upgrade Community Facility - The Community Business and Training Center built with a previous HSIAC grant will be enhanced and enable community