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Senator Santorum Announces $20 million HOPE VI Grant for the Easton Public Housing Authority
Senator Santorum joined by HUD Secretary Jackson in Easton for the announcement
October 4, 2006
Easton, PA – U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today was in Easton, Northampton County to announce that the Easton Public Housing Authority is a recipient of a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOPE VI grant. Senator Santorum has been a long time supporter of HOPE VI; he cosponsored a bill to reauthorize the program and sent a letter to HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson supporting the HOPE VI grant for Easton.
“Sadly, senseless acts of violence are becoming too common in our communities. The need for stronger families and communities is evident throughout the state. The $20 million HOPE VI grant to revitalize the south side of Easton will help to build a safer and stronger community for families in Easton to grow, work, and live,” said Senator Santorum.
HOPE VI is a program that provides needed grants to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) for demolition, rehabilitation, and revitalization activities aimed at rejuvenating severely distressed public housing units. This year only three projects nation-wide were selected to receive this funding. Seventy-one community organizations have expressed support for this project that is expected to bring 89 affordable homeownership units as well as 43 tax credit/voucher rental units and 12 public housing units at Delaware Terrace. Replacement housing vouchers will also be provided for residents. The funding will also help to expand the Easton Boys and Girls Club.
“I strongly supported the Easton project because of its great merit and potential positive impact on the greater Lehigh Valley. I believe that the HOPE VI funding, paired with a recent $2.5 million Department of Justice grant to combat gang violence, can make a real difference in Easton,” said Senator Santorum.
Senator Santorum has supported affordable housing for Pennsylvanians and has worked on issues important to housing authorities throughout the Commonwealth, such as encouraging self-sufficiency, employment and homeownership.
This past summer Senator Santorum cosponsored the Moving to Work Charter Program Act, S.3508 which would expand and make permanent the Moving to Work (MTW) program – a HUD program that allows housing authorities to develop local approaches to encourage self-sufficiency and boost housing choices for low-income families. Senator Santorum worked with Senators John Sununu (R-NH) and Tom Carper (D-DE) in encouraging support from their Senate colleagues to make the Moving to Work program permanent and allow more housing authorities to benefit from the flexibility the program provides.
Also, for the past several years Senator Santorum introduced the Community Development Homeownership Tax Credit, S.859, with Senator John Kerry (D-MA). This legislation amends the Internal Revenue code to give developers and investors a tax credit incentive to build or substantially rehabilitating residences for low and moderate-income individuals in certain areas, including a rural area, an Indian reservation, or an area of chronic economic distress. The tax credit covers the gap between the cost of building or rehabbing the home and the price at which it could be sold in these neighborhoods.
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Congressman Charlie Dent (R-PA-15th) also supported this federal funding.
“The HOPE VI program has been very successful in eliminating some of the most dangerous and dilapidated public housing in the country and developing new, high quality, mixed-income housing,” Senator Specter said. “I am very pleased to see the Easton Housing Authority receive this competitive grant that will enable the city to provide better and safer public housing to residents in need.”
“I believe it is critical that we continue to provide the means for revitalization of our most distressed neighborhoods, and the opportunity for families and children to prosper in secure neighborhoods,” said Congressman Dent, who also attended the announcement. “This Hope VI investment can be a catalyst for the entire South Side Easton community.”
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