Projo Biz Blog

The director of the Providence Public Housing Authority is asking members of Rhode Island's congressional delegation to add public housing to the list for funding under the proposed federal economic stimulus package.

"Like our transportation infrastructure, public housing has suffered from the same federal disinvestment during the past several years,'' Providence Housing Authority director Stephen J. O'Rourke said in a statement.

The housing authority has a backlog of $26 million worth of capital improvement projects, O'Rourke said, including money to replace broken windows, install sprinklers and make units handicapped accessible.

The housing authority now faces a more than $2 million budget shortfall for the fiscal year ending June 30th, he said. And last April, the authority had to lay off 20 staff members.

The plea is part of an effort organized by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) to ask that lawmakers include $5 billion in public housing capital funds and $500 million in operating subsidies for local housing authorities in the fiscal stimulus package being considered by U.S. congressional leaders and President-elect Barack Obama to jump-start the national economy.

 Tags  economic stimulus housing Rhode Island

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