Contact: Antonia Ferrier (202) 224-5344
Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Washington D.C. - U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $21,660,451 in funding for housing programs throughout Maine.

“Many Americans aspire to owning their own home and funding provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development can often help to make that dream a reality” said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “Housing funds allocated to Maine will contribute greatly to state efforts to provide affordable and accessible housing for all residents.”

Funding will be allocated as follows:

· $14,148,809 in Community Development Block Grant funding

· $6,641,446 in Home Investment Partnerships Program funding

· $761,139 in Emergency Shelter Grants funding

· $109,057 in American Dream Downpayment Initiative funding

The American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) is a new initiative under the Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) program. It promotes homeownership opportunities by providing necessary resources for downpayment and closing cost assistance to low-income and minority households.

The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program provides annual grants to states and local governments to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

The Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) program provides annual grants to state, local, and private entities to improve the quality and number of emergency homeless shelters.

The Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) helps to expand the supply of decent, affordable housing to low- and very low-income families by providing grants to states and local governments to fund housing programs that meet local needs and priorities.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds private housing developments to assist in housing opportunities for low income residents. HUD provides rental assistance to approximately 1.5 million low-income households. It also funds community revitalization projects to meet local needs and expand opportunities for Americans.

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