Seventeen Maine Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) have received a combined $11.6 million in federal funding through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Public Housing Capital Fund Formula Grant program.
According to the federal government, this program “provides funds, annually, to [PHAs] for the development, financing, and modernization of public housing developments and for management improvements.”
According to a Monday press release from Sen. Susan Collins (R) — Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee — the seventeen municipal housing authorities received an aggregate of $11,648,244 through this program.
“The dedicated staff at housing authorities throughout Maine work hard to link seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income individuals and families with access to an array of programs that help them improve their living conditions and achieve economic independence,” Sen. Collins said in a statement.
“With this funding, housing authorities across the state will continue their work within their local communities to ensure that the needs of their residents are met,” Collins concluded.
Portland Housing Authority received the greatest amount of federal funding at $3,335,695, followed by Bangor at $2,014,299 and Lewiston at $1,274,622.
The remaining fourteen PHAs were given between $746,295 (South Portland) and $50,430 (Mount Desert).
According to Collins, “HUD’s Public Housing program ensures safe, decent, and affordable housing, and creates opportunities for residents’ self-sufficiency and economic independence.”
Click Here to Read Sen. Collins’ Full Press Release
Recently, the Maine State Housing Authority — which serves “as the public housing authority for those parts of Maine without a local authority” — announced that it would be launching a pilot program this June aimed at helping senior citizens list their spare rooms for rent.
In February, the Maine State Housing Authority signed a $200,000 contract with Nesterly, a platform that connects retirees and “empty nesters” with those in search of housing for more than thirty days.
Working alongside Nesterly and the Maine State Housing Authority on the state’s new pilot program are AARP Maine, the Maine Council on Aging, and the Governor’s Cabinet on Aging.
Sweet that outta shave .001 off the next tax increase.
Susan Collins’ greatest achievement has been helping turn Maine into a welfare state.
Not only do we give some of the most generous tax payer funded freebies out, we as a state receive what basically amounts to welfare from other states. For ever dollar we send to the feds in taxes we get $1.78 back.
We are not an independent state.
More big gov’t as the answer for everything. That is of course after they create the problem. Is there something in the constitution that says gov’t should be in the real estate business? What did we ever do before these alphabet soup gov’t agencies came along to save us all? I wonder how many illegal aliens will be living in these places.
Thank Sue for picking my pocket
Before we encourage Srs to “invite” people to use their “spare room” how about we “invite” all the illegals to join Janet in her spare rooms at the Blaine house?