John Rebchook is a former Rocky Mountain News reporter with more than 30 years of experience in writing and communications... U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that housing agencies in Colorado will receive more than $1.7 million to protect the rental assistance provided to families currently participating in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. These agencies are among nearly 600 that will receive additional funding because they had additional leasing or experienced other unforeseen circumstances in 2009. HUD estimates this funding will keep 218 families in affordable housing throughout the state.
Colorado funding was awarded to:
Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver – $1.49 million.
Housing Authority of Pueblo –$ 46,274
City of Englewood Housing Authority -$28,139
Grand Junction Housing Authority –$26,689
Sheridan Housing Authority – $28,886
Adams County Housing Authority – $86,706
Housing Authority of the County of Montezuma –$9,350
Colorado Department of Human Services -$25,159
20,000 families helped nationwide
“All across this country, nearly 20,000 families can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Donovan. “This additional funding will help housing agencies to continue providing affordable housing.”
The funding announced today is part of a $150 million set-aside from HUD’s 2010 budget that will give public housing agencies additional funding that will help them support existing vouchers. Last February HUD issued a notice informing public housing agencies that they could apply for this funding under the following four categories: adjusting allocations for agencies experiencing a significant increase in renewal costs; adjustments for agencies with voucher leasing rates that exceed average rates; adjustment for the costs associated with Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers; and for vouchers that ere not is use during the federal fiscal year.
HUD reviewed approximately 1,000 submissions from agencies across the U.S. and awarded funding based on HUD’s categories. Housing agencies that applied for funding will receive notifications of application status today. The Housing Choice Voucher Program is HUD’s largest rental assistance program, with an $18,184,200,000 budget for 2010. The program supports approximately 2.1 million families through rental assistance payments that make housing more affordable.
