Udall, Heinrich, Haaland Applaud $2 Million HUD Grant for Affordable Senior Housing

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S Representative Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) announced that the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $2,096,945 to the Elderly Housing Development and Operations Corporation (EHDOC) of Albuquerque.

The grant provides capital advances to private, nonprofit sponsors to finance the development of 20 housing units for low-income, elderly residents. This housing option allows residents to live independently, while benefitting from an environment that provides support activities such as cleaning, cooking and transportation.

“Safe, well-built housing and infrastructure are the building blocks for strong, healthy communities, and it is our responsibility to make sure that every member of our communities have a roof over their head and a safe place to live,” said Udall, senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “However, senior citizens, in New Mexico and across the United States, are vulnerable to housing dislocation because of the increasing costs of living and lack of affordable housing. The HUD grant awarded today is a necessary boost to ensure that elderly New Mexicans are supported in their housing, living and medical needs. I applaud these efforts and will continue to fight back against Trump administration efforts to take funding from vital programs for low-income and elderly individuals in order to fund corporate tax breaks.”

“Having a roof over your head is critical to financial stability and the ability to thrive, but New Mexico seniors often struggle to find affordable housing that meet their needs as they age,” said Heinrich. “I am proud to support this vital federal funding for the Elderly Housing Development & Operations Corporation of Albuquerque that takes an innovative approach to building accessible and affordable communities where seniors can live independently with dignity and self-determination. I remain committed to securing federal investments that give all New Mexicans across the state access to safe, secure, and affordable housing.”

“Everyone deserves fair and affordable housing, but often our seniors are living on fixed incomes and have trouble paying to keep a roof over their heads and many times the burden falls on families. This funding for the City of Albuquerque’s elderly housing organization will provide more resources to improve a quality of life for our seniors and their families,” said Haaland.

HUD provides capital to finance the construction, rehabilitation or acquisition of structures that will serve as supportive housing for low-income, elderly, people. HUD also provides rent subsidies for the projects to help make them more affordable. For Fiscal Year 2020, HUD was funded at $49.1 billion, an increase of $4.88 billion over Fiscal Year 2019. The Trump administration proposed a budget cut for HUD of more than $7.5 billion in its annual budget request to Congress, but Congress rejected that proposal and instead increased funding.