WASHINGTON DC – Today, on the same day President Trump proposed eliminating the Public Housing Capital Fund in his fiscal year 2021 budget, U.S. Senator Jack Reed announced that twenty-four Rhode Island cities and towns will receive a total of $21,720,976 in federal funding through this critical program to help local housing authorities improve public housing and expand affordable housing opportunities for more Rhode Islanders.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), this fiscal year 2020 Public Housing Capital Fund money will help local communities preserve, develop, finance, and modernize public housing.

“This is a smart investment in improving housing conditions for vulnerable families and preventing more people from being forced out onto the streets by preserving public housing units, a critical source of affordable housing.  These federal funds will help ensure that local housing agencies can improve their buildings, preserve affordable housing, and help us build stronger communities,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD).  “All Rhode Islanders should have access to safe, secure, and affordable housing.  This funding will be put to work making needed repairs, maintaining public assets, and ensuring quality, affordable housing is available.”

The Public Housing Capital Fund Program provides local housing authorities with funding for the modernization of public housing and ongoing maintenance needs.  Local agencies can use the funding for a broad array of improvements that may include redesigning, reconstructing, and reconfiguring public housing sites and buildings; addressing safety code compliance needs; replacing obsolete utility systems and dwelling equipment; and investing in resident programs that help improve economic empowerment.

As Ranking Member of the THUD subcommittee, Senator Reed helped advance the FY 2020 THUD Appropriations law, which included $2.87 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund.  As a result of Senator Reed’s efforts, the state is projected to receive $58 million in 2020 for the operation and capital maintenance of Rhode Island’s 8,800 public housing units.

Public Housing Agencies in the following cities and towns will receive funding:

Bristol Housing Authority: $358,088
Burrillville Housing Authority: $183,806
Central Falls Housing Authority: $712,010
Coventry Housing Authority: $348,655
Cranston Housing Authority: $1,190,447
Cumberland Housing Authority: $275,517
East Greenwich Housing Authority: $69,033
East Providence Housing Authority: $901,339
Jamestown Housing Authority: $54,149
Johnston Housing Authority: $281,616
Lincoln Housing Authority: $538,886
Narragansett Housing Authority: $23,302
Newport Housing Authority: $2,523,915
North Providence Housing Authority: $229,079
Pawtucket Housing Authority: $1,887,088
Providence Housing Authority: $6,473,131
Smithfield Housing Authority: $112,711
South Kingstown Housing Authority: $216,024
Tiverton Housing Authority: $87,243
Warren Housing Authority: $252,493
Warwick Housing Authority: $923,508
Westerly Housing Authority: $233,350
West Warwick Housing Authority: $483,692
Woonsocket Housing Authority: $3,361,894

Total: $21,720,976