New Incentive Block Grants Coming From The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

By: Salina Greene, Outreach Coordinator, NHS of Baltimore

President Obama recently passed a new Recovery Act in a continued effort to stimulate community development and enhance job growth. On September 23, 2009, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan allocated some of these funds to over 500 communities in need across the country. The total awarded was $620 million dollars. This is just a portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act totaling $1billion. Last July, this program distributed over $360 million in recovery grants. Under this initiative, HUD has gone full force into recovering our communities and producing viable jobs for U.S. citizens.

Revitalizing neighborhoods, creating suitable living environments, and providing affordable housing contributes to our goal of overall sustainability. Once the economy starts to produce again, jobs return and the housing market stabilizes. This means fewer foreclosures and potentially, more homeowner incentives- especially now that the market for green living is increasing at an unprecedented rate. State and local administrations have received nearly 75% of the funding. It is now up to them to properly funnel it into their respective communities.

The good news is, funding for responsible projects with contracts acquired through a bidding process, are available within 120 days of the grant agreement. Investing in the crumbling infrastructure of our economy is now a huge focus for our administration. This generates maximum economic benefits in the long term. Every dollar spent through this HUD-certified Act can be reviewed and tracked on the Recovery Act website.

Americans will be more at ease seeing where their money is going and what it is being used for. Federal leaders can be held accountable now. Business opportunities and job growth is achieved through housing rehabilitation and the construction/improvement of public-use facilities. Hopefully, this will be the start of our economic revitalization on a sustainable level.