$200,000 Seattle Tenant Union grants will help families at-risk of being “priced out” of rental market
SEATTLE, WA – June 18, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — The Tenants Union of Washington State is among 15 nonprofit organizations nationwide to have been awarded a total of $5 million through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s new Tenant Resource Network program to assist tenants receiving Section 8 project-based rental assistance at risk of being priced-out of the rental market. TRN nonprofits will assist, inform, educate and engage tenants living in certain Section 8-assisted properties at risk of losing affordability protections or project-based rental assistance.
“The Tenant Resource Network is designed to help working families who are at greatest risk of being priced out of their rental market,” said Carol Galante, HUD’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing. “The whole purpose of this program is to empower families living in HUD-assisted housing, giving them the information and options they need to stay in their homes.”
“As the real estate market recovers the price of rental housing likely will rise, creating pressure on the affordable housing inventory,” said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Mary McBride. “Thanks to the efforts of the owners of private, HUD-assisted properties, our partners and HUD staff, we’ve enjoyed considerable success at preserving the affordable rental stock. This grant will help us continue to build upon that good work.”
HUD is awarding grants to the following nonprofit tenant assistance organizations (see attached grant summaries):
|
State |
Grantee |
Grant Amount |
| California | LA Center for Affordable Tenant Housing |
$720,000 |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Public Housing Resident Network |
$100,000 |
| Georgia | Atlanta Legal Aid |
$360,000 |
| Illinois | Metropolitan Tenants Organization |
$600,000 |
| Maryland | Housing Counseling Services |
$300,000 |
| Massachusetts | Boston Affordable Housing Coalition |
$300,000 |
| Michigan | United Community Housing |
$480,000 |
| Minnesota | Home Line |
$300,000 |
| New York | NY Tenants and Neighbors |
$200,000 |
| Ohio | Coalition on Homeless and Housing in Ohio |
$300,000 |
| Pennsylvania | Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania |
$200,000 |
| Rhode Island | Statewide/ Housing Action Coalition |
$200,000 |
| Texas | Texas Tenants’ Union |
$350,238 |
| Virginia | North Carolina Housing Coalition |
$300,000 |
| Washington | Tenants Union of Washington State |
$200,000 |
|
TOTAL |
$4,910,238 |
One goal of the TRN program is to assist tenants living in project-based Section 8 housing regarding their rights, responsibilities and options when a property owner ‘opts-out’ the program, pre-pays their mortgage, or repeatedly fails to meet HUD’s housing standards. The second purpose of the program is preservation of HUD-assisted affordable housing by engaging tenants in efforts to preserve eligible properties as affordable housing.
TRN is a new program developed under the authority of Section 514 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act of 1997 (MAHRA). The TRN Program targeted certain Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) which include a high proportion of TRN-eligible housing units.
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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD’s News Listserv.
