09.10.19

Cantwell Announces More than $15M in New Housing, Homelessness Grants Coming to Seattle

Funding from HUD grant programs will help increase supply of affordable housing, address homelessness

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Seattle will receive more than $15 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for affordable housing and homelessness programs. 

Seattle will receive $9,339,546 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, $3,043,164 from HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), $2,600,883 from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program (HOPWA), and $805,090 from the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program. The funding will help improve housing opportunities, build new affordable housing units, and assist with homelessness prevention in Seattle. 

Grant Program

Funding Amount

CDBG

$9,339,546

HOME

$3,043,164

HOPWA

$2,600,883

ESG

$805,090

TOTAL AMOUNT

$15,788,683

The CDBG program helps support home ownership, housing rehabilitation, public improvements, and economic development projects in communities throughout the country. Since 1974, the program has invested more than $153 billion in communities nationwide, and it has helped leverage $4.09 in non-CDBG funding for every $1.00 of funding given out. 

HUD’s HOME program is the federal government’s only block grant program to help state and local governments create more affordable housing units for low-income families. The program has created more than 1.3 million units since 1992 and provided direct rental assistance to more than 356,000 low-income families nationwide. 

HOPWA provides housing assistance and related supportive services for projects that benefit low-income persons medically diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their families. 

The ESG program provides funding to engage homeless individuals and families living on the street; improve the number, quality, and operations of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families; provide essential services to shelter residents; rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families; and prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless. 

Senator Cantwell has long supported funding for HUD’s housing and homelessness grants, including the CDBG, HOME, and HOPWA programs. She has also prioritized investment in affordable housing, helping to secure nearly $3 billion in additional affordable housing funding in March 2018 and introducing legislation earlier this year to increase investment in affordable housing and provide more resources and stronger protections for at-risk groups.

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