City distributes $17.8 million in HUD grants
By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Two senior housing facilities, public housing residents and organizations that provide food, shelter and economic development will benefit from $17.8 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The annual grants were announced yesterday by Mike Liu, HUD assistant secretary for public and Indian housing.
Liu also said the Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawai'i will receive a $250,000 grant to create a Neighborhood Networks Technology Center program for residents of Kuhio Park Terrace and Kuhio Homes.
Since HUD generally gives the city some $17 million in grants each year, the city anticipated the money and included it in this year's budget.
City Budget and Fiscal Services director Ivan Lui-Kwan said it is fortunate to have Liu, a former Hawai'i legislator, in such a high-ranking position in Washington. "He can influence or help us with these programs and bring the resources on a more timely basis," Lui-Kwan said.
Liu, in Hawai'i for a two-day visit, announced the grants at a news conference.
Seventy to 80 organizations apply through the city each year for a share of the grants, requesting far more than the city receives from HUD, said city Managing Director Ben Lee.
"Some of the projects that we've been using these funds for include land acquisition, community investment through Empower O'ahu, Lanikila Meals on Wheels, Hawai'i Foodbank, Salvation Army, St. Francis elderly housing project and Boys and Girls Club renovation projects," Lee said.
The Palolo Chinese Home received $1.93 million this year. The Domestic Violence and Legal Hotline received $1.565 million; the Community Investment Program, $1 million.
During the past budget cycle, the City Council decided to not use community block development grants to pay for the CountryExpress! bus service or for sidewalk improvements to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, choosing instead to give all of the federal money to nonprofit organizations. Taxpayer dollars will be used to meet the costs of sidewalk and bus improvements.
Liu said ADA improvements would have been acceptable use of the federal money. He said he was not familiar enough with the country express service to comment.
The grants could not have been used to pay for raises for bus drivers or police. Lui-Kwan said these grants require that at least 51 percent of the people who will benefit from them be at low to moderate income levels.
Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
