Massachusetts Awarded Over $92 Million in HUD Grants for COVID-19 Relief

Statement

United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded over $92 million in federal grants to support cities and towns across Massachusetts as they combat the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The funding, which was awarded through HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) programs, will support increased testing and treating for COVID-19, manufacturing of medical supplies, job training for health care workers, expansion of community health facilities, child care centers, food banks, senior services, emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness, and more. Earlier this month, Senators Warren and Markey led the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging congressional leadership to include robust funding for HUD's CDBG program in the COVID-19 stimulus package.

"Cities and towns in the Commonwealth and across the country are on the frontlines of our fight against this pandemic, and they need our support," said Senator Warren. "This critical funding will help our mayors and local governments continue to provide essential services like testing and treatment to their communities and mitigate the impact of this crisis on our families -- but they're going to need a lot more, and I am going to keep fighting for it."

"Massachusetts cities and towns are struggling with the tremendous health and economic costs associated with addressing the coronavirus emergency," said Senator Markey. "The release of funding and flexibility from HUD is a good first step, but we must keep fighting to ensure that the federal government provides more support for our families and localities."

"In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a national crisis at a scale not seen in our lifetime, it is imperative that all levels of government work together to ensure the health and safety of our residents," said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "I want to thank our federal delegation for their hard work and persistence in making sure that Massachusetts and the City of Boston receives the critical funding we need to support our frontline workers, and keep our residents safe."

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