09.22.08

Cantwell Applauds Hope VI Funding for Bremerton, King County, and Seattle

$50 Million in Grants Will Revitalize Housing Developments

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded news that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $50 million in funding from the Hope VI grant program to revitalize the Westpark public housing development in Bremerton, the Park Lake Homes II development in King County, and Lake City Village and House in Seattle.  The Hope VI program replaces some of the country’s most dilapidated public housing developments with modern, mixed-home facilities. 
 
“The award of these three grants is recognition of Washington state’s commitment to, and success in, updating and revitalizing public housing that is old, rundown and unsafe,” said Cantwell. “I also appreciate Senator Patty Murray’s foresight, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees HUD, to include money for this critical program nationwide. Bremerton, King County, and Seattle can put these critical funds to good use and provide our vulnerable neighbors with a modern, affordable and safe place to call home.”
 
The Housing Authority of Bremerton will receive $20 million to revitalize the Westpark public housing development. The project is comprised of 571 units, all of which will be demolished and replaced with a total of 955 modern units. 
 
The King County Housing Authority received $20 million, which will enable the Housing Authority to revitalize the Park Lake Homes II public housing development. The project is comprised of 165 units, all of which will be demolished and replaced with a total of 318 units. 
 
Finally, the Housing Authority of the City of Seattle received $10.5 million, which will enable the Housing Authority to revitalize the Lake City public housing development. The severely distressed Lake City Village was comprised of 16 townhouse public housing rental units which were demolished in 2002. Its revitalization plan will create a total of 103 units, including 51 public housing rental units, 35 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit rental units, five affordable homeownership units, and 12 market rate homeownership units. 
 
Cantwell most recently worked to modernize the low income housing tax credit program. These improvements were enacted into law in July 2008 as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. These improvements in the tax law were broadly supported by state and local housing authorities; housing developers, lenders, and low-income housing advocates and are seen as instrumental in keeping scarce capital flowing to the development of low-income housing projects. Cantwell has also long championed increased funding for affordable housing.
 
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