This week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it will send more than $1.1 million to public housing agencies (PHAs) across Florida.
The funds are part of $25 million going to more than 180 PHAs across the nation that are
“experiencing or at risk of experiencing financial shortfalls.” According to HUD, the funds “will enable PHAs to continue serving residents as they take steps to ensure long-term financial solvency.”
“Public housing agencies, like other organizations, have been impacted by financial disruptions from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dominque Blom, the general deputy assistant secretary for public and Indian housing at HUD. “Supporting PHAs in this way is critical to serving HUD-assisted households. These funds stabilize PHAs so that they can meet the needs of residents and taking steps toward long-term financial stability.”
“PHA awardees facing shortfalls are defined as having less than three months of operating expenses held in reserve. While PHAs of various sizes may have been eligible to receive funding, HUD is concerned with the ability of small and very-small PHAs to generate resources to supplement their public housing program, and therefore prioritized these PHAs in the distribution of funds,” HUD noted.
The Pasco County Housing Authority will get more than $425,000 from HUD while the Housing Authority of the City of Lakeland will get $342,323. HUD is sending almost $211,500 to the Housing Authority of the City of Miami Beach and more than $166,000 to the Ocala Housing Authority. HUD will send almost $20,000 to the Seminole County Housing Authority, more than $12,000 to the Macclenny Housing Authority and $9,155 to the Ormond Beach Housing Authority.
