HUD Awards $5.4 Million to the Wisconsin Hospital and Economic Development Authority to Support Affordable Rental Housing for Extremely Low-Income Persons with Disabilities

MADISON, WI – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the award of over $54.7 million in capital advance and project rental assistance grants to 15 organizations, including $5.4 million to the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, to expand the supply of affordable rental housing for extremely low-income persons with disabilities. The capital advance awards will support integrated affordable housing by providing funding for the development of permanent supportive rental housing through HUD’s Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program, while project rental assistance awards are used to subsidize rents for extremely low-income persons with disabilities.

“HUD is committed to helping very low-income persons with disabilities with housing options that provide meaningful choices about housing, health care, and long-term services and support so they can participate fully in community life,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “The Trump Administration has strongly supported our efforts to serve this population, including supporting the almost $150 million in HUD grants, and making $15 million in supplemental funds available under the CARES Act to help prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19.”

The grants were awarded to organizations that will create permanent supportive housing models at the forefront of design, service delivery and efficient use of federal resources. Awardees must promote long-term housing security and facilitate community integration of persons with disabilities.

“These awards reinforce our dedication to expanding the supply of affordable rental housing for persons with disabilities,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Dana Wade. “The development of new rental housing and subsidies for residents will expand their options to live with independence within the community in a more integrated environment.”

“This funding shows the important partnership between HUD and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority as it goes directly to an experienced and knowledgeable agency that will effectively reach and support this vulnerable population,” said HUD Midwest Regional Administrator Joseph P. Galvan.

“These HUD funds are critical in helping some of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable residents access safe, affordable housing,” said WHEDA CEO Joaquín Altoro. “The program helps foster independence and provides supportive services for people with disabilities to move from an institutional setting to permanent housing in our communities. WHEDA is honored to be one of the seven housing finance authorities to receive an award to support Wisconsin’s affordable housing needs.”

HUD provides rental assistance to more than 35,000 households through its Section 811 program. The program supports:

• Increasing the supply of accessible rental housing units for individuals with disabilities by integrating these units within existing, new, or renovated multifamily developments.
• Creating effective, successful, and sustainable partnerships between state housing agencies and state Health and Human Services/Medicaid agencies to provide permanent housing for persons with disabilities with access to appropriate supportive services; and
• Identifying innovative and replicable ways for using and leveraging Project Rental Assistance funds.

Click here to see the grantees who received Capital Advance awards. The following grantees received Project Rental Assistance awards:

Washington State Department of Commerce	Olympia	WA	$6,460,990
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development	Lanham	MD	$6,983,579
Virginia Housing Development Authority	Richmond	VA	$6,976,504
Ohio Housing Finance Agency	Columbus	OH	$6,893,767
Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority	Madison	WI	$5,386,056
Georgina Housing and Finance Authority	Atlanta	GA	$5,111,671
New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority	Albuquerque	NM	$3,567,029

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.