A Village of Great Neck senior citizen residence received more than $60,000 in federal grant funds for public housing improvements, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday.
“HUD has a responsibility to provide public housing residents with a quality and safe roof over their heads,” HUD Secretary Julian Castro said in a statement. “This funding, in addition to assistance from the private sector through HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, will help housing authorities address longstanding capital improvements and preserve and enhance America’s affordable housing.”
Great Neck Housing Authority Executive Director Janice Sotero said the grant money will go into the housing authority’s capital funds and will be used as needed for maintenance improvements to the 75-unit building at the corner of Middle Neck Road and Hicks Lane.
“It’s just for things like floors and redoing apartments and everyday normal capital fund needs,” Sotero said.
She also said funding is based on how much residents pay in rent and how many units a housing authority has.
The Village of Great Neck Housing Authority was among 10 Long Island housing authority’s that received money from HUD.
The highest amount went to the Town of Hempstead, which received $1.3 million.
Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony Santino told Newsday the funds help improve the town’s residents quality of life.
“Hempstead Town oversees a large network of affordable senior and broad market apartments, providing over 1,250 rental homes to eligible residents,” Santino said. “The funding that HUD provides to our township helps to maintain the infrastructure of these facilities, ensuring that our residents enjoy comfortable, safe and attractive living accommodations.”
HUD’s Capital Funds Program dispersed more than $1.8 billion to housing authorities across all 50 states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to a 2016 Capital Funds Program chart.
New York received the most funding of every state and province with more than $370 million.
