Washington, DC (July 18, 2007) – Today, Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded various organizations in the district with grants.

“Housing options are limited for people living on a fixed income or from paycheck to paycheck,” said Hinojosa.  “These grants will help families find new, quality housing that is affordable and safe.”

Hidalgo County has been awarded the following grants:

• $16,282.00 in American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) grants, which will help promote homeownership opportunities by providing necessary resources for downpayment and closing cost assistance to low-income and minority households.

• $8,632,714.00 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which provides annual grants to states in local units of government to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

• $372,645.00 in Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG), which provide annual grants to state, local, and private entities to improve the quality and number of emergency homeless shelters.

• $2,764,988.00 under the HOME program that helps to expand the supply of decent, affordable housing to low- and very low-income families by providing grants to states and local governments to fund housing programs that meet local needs and priorities.

“A key ingredient to community development is providing affordable housing to families,” Hinojosa continued.  “To meet these needs, we must provide communities with resources to help manage smart growth and expansion.”