Local nonprofits Housing Developers Receive Grants

Austin, TX: Today, community leaders join the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, The Enterprise Foundation and Austin Community Development Corporation to announce grant awards of $256,000 to ten local non-profits. The funds will be used to create more affordable housing for homeless, disabled and low income persons.

The nonprofit housing organizations receiving grant awards through the Affordable Housing Capacity Building program include:

Foundation Communities: to do the architectural and engineering work needed to start a new 140 unit Single Room Occupancy facility for homeless persons

Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation: to support development of 19 unit affordable housing complex and six scattered site units.

Austin Revitalization Authority: to provide homeowner counseling to first time homebuyers

Mary Lee Foundation: to complete housing projects for 61 disabled persons

Austin Habitat for Humanity: to upgrade systems for more efficient tracking of donations, volunteer hours, and construction expenses of 20 new homes

Neighborhood Housing Services of Austin: to support development of 12 new affordable houses and rehabilitate 12 houses in north central Austin

United Cerebral Palsy of Texas: to provide housing for persons with disabilities through 6 new townhouses and 5 scattered site houses

Blackland Community Development Corporation: to support development of acquisition and rehabilitation of 4 houses in the Blackland neighborhood.

Chestnut Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation: to support development of 9 new houses in the Chestnut neighborhood.

Blackshear Neighborhood Development Corporation: to support development of six new houses in the Blackshear neighborhood.

Funding for the grants include $125,000 from the Austin Housing Finance Corporation and $131,000 from The Enterprise Foundation. Grants announced today range from $12,000 to $44,000.

By collaborating on the awards announced today, Austin Housing Finance Corporation, The Enterprise Foundation and Austin Community Development Corporation are working to have greater impact on the on production of affordable housing.

"In Austin we are blessed to have a dedicated group of non-profits committed to housing issues," said Paul Hilgers, Director of the Austin Housing Finance Corporation. "This program will strengthen the partnership we have and their production capacity."

With the support of a Washington Mutual grant, Austin Community Development Corporation is coordinating the Affordable Housing Capacity Building Program, organizing Training Workshops for the nonprofits, supervising a nonprofit Needs Assessment survey by UT graduate students, and providing Technical Assistance.

"At Washington Mutual, we put a high value on supporting the development of the communities we serve, and we applaud the efforts of the Austin Community Development Corporation to position its partners for success," said Vern Stockton, president of community and external affairs for Washington Mutual. "We are pleased to provide Austin CDC with funding to help maximize its impact in building strong, healthy communities in Texas."

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call 974-3100 (voice) or 974-3102 (TDD) for assistance. This project is made possible by funding from HUD through the City of Austin.

CONTACT: Julie Beggs, 974-3121