Local Cities to get Housing Funds From Stimulus Package
Housing
The New Bedford Standard-Times
Cristian Hernandez
Boston University Washington News Service
02/26/09
WASHINGTON – Federal funds will start flowing to local communities for the development and improvement of public housing projects, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Department officials doled out $10 billion of the $13.61 billion included in President Obama’s Recovery Act for Housing and Urban Development to state and local housing authorities on Wednesday. Among the recipients are the New Bedford Housing Authority with an allocation of $4.8 million and the Fall River Housing Authority with $3.6 million.
“This is terrific news for the housing authority. This will enable us to do many things that have been pushed aside because of lack of funding,” said Joseph Finnerty, the New Bedford Housing Authority’s executive director.
In addition to money for local housing authorities the stimulus bill will boost the Community Development Block Grant program. Massachusetts will get $9.1 million for block grants, which fund local development projects such as public housing, infrastructure developments and anti-poverty efforts. The grants are mainly used at the discretion of local and state governments.
“We are very thankful and eager to implement these resources and are optimistic that we can put this money to immediate use,” said Patrick Sullivan, the director of New Bedford’s Office of Housing and Community Development.
New Bedford will receive $802,671 for block grants, Fall River $805,818, and Attleboro $125,811.
Local housing and community development officials said they plan to use the money to pick up the slack of projects that have been put on hold due to lack of funding.
“We have experienced a number of cuts over the years. We have a couple of infrastructure projects that have been waiting. We can use some of this money for them,” Sullivan said.
Included in those projects is the construction of a new community center that authorities have been trying to jump-start for the last year and a half, Sullivan said.
Finnerty said he wants to use the Housing Authority money to catch up on deferred maintenance in public housing facilities. He said the agency defers maintenance due to lack of funds and often can only afford to address the most egregious problems.
A major project for the housing authority will be updating older building that lack handicap accessibility. Finnerty said a lot of work also will be done to repair the sidewalks and roads in public housing neighborhoods.
The HUD money also will provide relief for the homeless. The stimulus bill includes $1.5 billion for the Homelessness Prevention Fund. Massachusetts will get $18.4 million with Fall River and New Bedford each getting $1.2 million.
Sullivan said that the city is trying to help people who have become homeless because of foreclosures
“There was an increase of homeless in the city and homeless families. We are looking to utilize initiative to provide services and creating permanent housing opportunities for the homeless,” Sullivan said.
New Bedford has a total of 496 homeless people, a 25.5 percent increase from last year, according to Sullivan’s office. The number includes people who are in emergency shelters and transitional shelters.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness the stimulus money would help an estimated 600,000 homeless individuals in the country. According to the organization there are 700,000 homeless Americans on any given night.
“It’s important to prevent a new generation of homelessness as a result of the recession,” said Nan Roman, the president of the alliance. She said the organization hopes to work closely with local governments to help them efficiently utilize the funds.
In Fall River, Mayor Robert Correia said that it is likely that the recovery funds coming from HUD will be used to help people struggling to my make utility payments and to help prevent foreclosures and any increase in homelessness.
“I am very pleased to hear such great news. The city will be working in the next few weeks to prioritize our projects and put the best plan into action to apply the funds where they are needed the most,” Correia said in an email.
#####
