Jenniffer González Announces $ 92.5 Million in HUD and USDA Funding
Press Release
Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón announced federal appropriations totaling $ 92,510,704 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $ 42 million investment in telemedicine and distance learning infrastructure to improve education and health outcomes; This allocation is expected to benefit 5 million rural residents nationwide.
The $ 42 million includes an item of $ 24 million from the Cares Act. In Puerto Rico, two programs will be recipients of this allocation.
Centro Sor Isolina Ferré will receive $ 77,223 that will be used to establish a distance education network between Jobos and Centro Sor Isolina Ferré in Ponce. The project will connect teachers and students in the schools of Tabaiba, Caimito and Jobos, providing educational opportunities for rural residents. It will also connect community health education staff with the elderly residents in Jobos.
While the Clínica Las Américas, Guaynabo (CLA) will receive $ 694,110 to provide telemedicine services to link 46 sites and 13 municipalities. The equipment will allow providers and patients to connect to appointments remotely.
On the other hand, HUD published the distribution of $ 91,739,371 for community development from different federal programs of the Office of Community Development and Planning.
The Community Development Funds program or CDBG for its acronym in English, provides annual allocations not related to disasters, mainly, to municipalities for community development and providing decent housing mainly, for people of low and moderate income.
Municipalities with a population of less than 50,000 inhabitants will receive their allocations through the Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development of Puerto Rico (ODSEC).
Under the CDBG funds, Puerto Rico will receive a total of $ 56,449,886, divided into $ 874,370 for Aguadilla; $ 1,358,365 for Arecibo; $ 2,214,251 for Bayamón; $ 871,004 for Cabo Rojo; $ 1,708,674 for Caguas; $ 760,978 for Canóvanas; $ 1,758,787 for Carolina; $ 641,484 for Cayey; $ 571,772 for Cidra; $ 520,693 for Fajardo; $ 658,141 for Guayama; $ 869,159 for Guaynabo; $ 836,357 for Humacao; $ 738,536 for Isabela; $ 721,494 for Juana Diaz; $ 707,048 for Manati; $ 1,427,327 for Mayagüez; $ 2,444,414 for Ponce; $ 703,207 for Río Grande; $ 556,410 for San Germán; $ 7,363,131 for San Juan; $ 652,730 for San Sebastián; $ 791,520 for Toa Alta; $ 1,050,180 for Toa Baja; $ 835,881 for Trujillo Alto; $ 817,257 for Vega Baja; $ 561,178 for Yauco; and $ 23,435,538 generally for Puerto Rico.
The HOME program helps expand the supply of decent and affordable housing to low- and very-low-income families, providing grants to states and local governments to fund housing programs that meet local needs and priorities.
Puerto Rico will receive a total of $ 21,993,466 under these funds, divided as follows: $ 305,638 for the Municipality of Aguadilla; $ 554,800 for Arecibo; $ 1,031,562 for Bayamón; $ 729,906 for Caguas; $ 769,689 for Carolina; $ 295,154 for Guaynabo; $ 658,343 for Mayagüez; $ 1,000,721 for Ponce; $ 2,637,524 for San Juan Municipality; $ 393,780 for Toa Baja; $ 243,673 for Trujillo Alto; and $ 13,372,676 administered by ODSEC.
The ESG or Emergency Solutions Funds program provides annual grants to state, local and private entities to help people quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. In addition, it provides limited funds to improve the quality and number of emergency homeless shelters.
Puerto Rico will receive this year $ 4,882,048 under the ESG funds that are divided: $ 189,934 for the Municipality of Bayamón; $ 150,396 for Caguas; $ 149,506 for Carolina; $ 211,786 for Ponce; $ 629,007 to San Juan and $ 3,551,419 to ODSEC.
The HOPWA program provides housing assistance and related support services to local units of government, such as municipalities, states, and non-profit organizations for projects that benefit low-income people diagnosed with HIV / AIDS and their families. Of the $ 8,413,971, the municipality of San Juan will receive $ 6,129,605 and ODSEC $ 2,284,366.
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