McCollum Touts $11.6 million in Recovery Act Funds for Public Housing in 4th District

Press Release

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) today highlighted over $11 million in federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for public housing going to St. Paul, South St. Paul, Dakota and Washington Counties.

"As we all know, our nation's public housing needs were completely neglected over the past eight years. This infusion of federal dollars will create jobs, provide needed healthy and safety facility upgrades, and restore a commitment to ensuring public housing residents can live in dignity," Congresswoman McCollum said.

As Minnesota's Member on the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman McCollum supported greater funding to repair public housing and make key energy efficiency retrofits in President Obama's economic recovery bill and the FY09 Omnibus Congress recently passed. The Public Housing Capital Fund formula allocations include $10,065,782 for the Public Housing Agency of the City of Saint Paul; $606,956 for the South St. Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority; $862,500 for the Dakota County Community Development Agency, and; $90,488 for the Washington County Housing Authority and Redevelopment Authority.

Across Minnesota, 36,000 people, including 12,000 children, live in public housing. Last September, Congresswoman McCollum addressed the need for safe, affordable and quality public housing during an event hosted by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, Minnesota NAHRO, the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency, and partners of the Housing America Campaign.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced public housing authorities can immediately begin spending the recovery act funds to address long-standing improvements to public housing units, create jobs, and increase energy efficiency.

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