PROVIDENCE, RI – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today announced that 25 Rhode Island communities will receive a total of $3,292,642 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Public Housing Operating Fund.  The money will be used to support the operation, upkeep, and management of public housing facilities across the state.

“All Rhode Islanders should have access to a safe, secure, and decent place to call home.  At a time when public housing resources have become all too scarce, this federal funding will help Rhode Island housing authorities work to address the basic needs of their residents and maintain public housing developments,” said Reed, a senior member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.  “If Congress doesn’t invest in public housing, more families could become homeless, which leads to greater costs down the road.  I will continue working on a bipartisan basis to preserve and expand affordable rental housing opportunities and improve housing conditions for more Rhode Islanders.”

The HUD Public Housing Operating Fund provides local housing authorities with funding to assist in the efficient management and operation of public housing units, including routine preventative maintenance, anti-crime and anti-drug activities, service coordination for senior and disabled residents, and energy conservation efforts.  Local agencies can also put the funding towards debt incurred in the rehabilitation and development of public housing units, as well as the costs of insurance.

Late last year, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) passed the FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which included $4.4 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund, $40 million more than the FY 2014 level.  Then a member of the THUD subcommittee, Reed now serves as the panel’s ranking member.

Public housing is essential for many Americans, serving millions of low-income residents and families, individuals with disabilities, and senior citizens while stabilizing neighborhoods throughout Rhode Island and across the United States.  

HUD offers rental assistance to more than 36,000 households in Rhode Island.

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

Bristol Housing Authority, $38,735

Burrillville Housing Authority, $16,827

Central Falls Housing Authority, $85,581

Coventry Housing Authority, $35,801

Cranston Housing Authority, $128,778

Cumberland Housing Authority, $26,047

East Greenwich Housing Authority, $17,336

East Providence Housing Authority, $117,861

Housing Authority Of The City Of Pawtucket, $372,099

Housing Authority Providence, $1,251,834

Jamestown Housing Authority, $7,020

Johnston Housing Authority, $31,727

Lincoln Housing Authority, $43,826

Narragansett Housing Authority, $3,216

North Providence Housing Authority, $63,070

Portsmouth Housing Authority, $8,286

Smithfield Housing Authority, $12,783

South Kingstown Housing Authority, $26,073

The Housing Authority Of The City Of Newport, $321,010

Tiverton Housing Authority, $8,923

Warren Housing Authority, $36,648

Warwick Housing Authority, $116,215

West Warwick Housing Authority, $36,785

Westerly Housing Authority, $38,843

Woonsocket Housing Authority, $447,318

-end-