Senator Collins successfully works with HUD to bring federal funds to Caribou
Washington, DC – June 8, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the Caribou Housing Agency a grant in the amount of $48,729 to support its Housing Choice Voucher Family Self Sufficiency Program. This program is intended to help low-income families, who receive federal housing assistance, receive training and education, find jobs, save money, and eventually become financially independent, including becoming homeowners.
The Caribou Housing Agency applied for this grant last year, however the funding was not awarded when HUD announced earlier this month that more than 200 public housing authorities around the country had been awarded a total of $15 million in assistance. City officials asked Senator Collins for assistance to determine why their grant request was not approved. Senator Collins contacted HUD and urged the agency to review the request, which resulted in the grant being awarded.
“We were initially surprised and discouraged that we did not receive any funding from HUD,” said Steve Wentworth, Director of Housing and Code Enforcement for the City of Caribou. “I therefore asked Senator Collins for help and she immediately intervened and got to the bottom of it. HUD soon corrected a computer technical error that resulted in our grant not initially being awarded. We are extremely grateful to Senator Collins for her hard work, and appreciative that these important federal dollars will once again come to Caribou.”
“This program is critical to the families in Caribou, and around the country, who are struggling to find work and pay their bills,” said Senator Collins. “I certainly appreciate HUD’s willingness to cooperate with me to ensure that the City of Caribou will receive the funds that it rightfully deserves.”
