HUD Secretary Donovan Announces $31 Million In Recovery Act Grants To Baltimore
Funds to stabilize neighborhoods, rebuild local economies in Baltimore
(BALTIMORE - January 17, 2010) - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that HUD is awarding the Healthy Neighborhoods Consortium $26,092,880 and $5,289,216 to Chicanos Por La Causa Inc. to support efforts by Mi Casa Inc. in Johnston Square in Neighborhood Stabilization Program II (NSP2) funds.
Funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), this round of NSP grants is being awarded competitively to applicants who developed the most innovative ideas to rebuild local communities by purchasing vacant, foreclosed properties and putting them back into productive use, while demonstrating that they have the capacity to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. There were 482 applicants, requesting over $15 billion in support. These two agencies were the only recipients of funding in the state of Maryland.
"This is wonderful news for Baltimore City and its neighborhoods," said Mayor Sheila Dixon. "I want to thank all those individuals inside and out of City government who collaborated, breaking down silos, to produce two visionary and highly competitive applications."
In July, the Healthy Neighborhoods Consortium, which includes Healthy Neighborhoods Inc., Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity, Druid Heights Community Development Corporation, St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center and Telesis Baltimore Corporation, submitted an application to the federal government for $26,092,880 of NSP2 funds. Mi Casa Inc. participated in a national consortium of non-profit organizations, led by Chicanos Por La Causa.
"The award of these funds reaffirms the strength of our neighborhoods and Baltimore's history of effective partnerships with neighborhoods, lenders, non profits and the city government." Said Mark Sissman, President of Healthy Neighborhoods, Inc.
"Mi Casa is very excited to receive this funding which serves as a testament to the partnerships established with the Baltimore City Housing Department and Chicanos Por La Causa. The NSP2 funds will allow us to develop a significant number of vacant houses for low and moderate income households and support the ongoing redevelopment of the Johnston Square community," said Fernando Lemos, Founding Executive Director, Mi Casa Inc.
The federal government had appropriated $2 billion dollars in NSP2 funds on an emergency basis to mitigate the impacts of foreclosures and abandonment on communities around the country. The proposed neighborhoods in Baltimore where work will be focused are: Belair-Edison, Better Waverly, Coldstream Homestead Montebello, Reservoir Hill, Patterson Park/McElderry Park, Barclay/Old Goucher, Johnston Square and Ednor Gardens.
"It is extraordinary that two NSP2 applications from Baltimore received awards. We have wonderful neighborhoods that were turning around and poised for continued long term investment before the foreclosure crisis," said Housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano. "This support will ensure that those investments will not be in vain."
The award also requires housing counseling for families receiving homebuyer assistance funds through NSP. In addition, it will protect homebuyers by requiring grantees to ensure that new homebuyers under this program obtain a mortgage from a lender who agrees to comply with sound lending practices.
The NSP was created to redevelop hard-hit communities, create jobs, and grow local economies by providing communities with the resources to purchase and rehabilitate vacant homes and convert them to affordable housing.
President Barack Obama signed the Recovery Act into law on February 17, 2009 as the country faced the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression.
The $787 billion Recovery Act program has already provided nearly $100 billion in tax relief for families and businesses, helped fill critical budget gaps for hard-hit state and local governments and jump-started tens of thousands of projects that are creating jobs and laying a new foundation for long-term economic growth.
For more information contact Cheron Porter, Director of Communications at 410-396-4709 or cheron.porter@habc.org.
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