AUSTIN, TX – August 4, 2008 – (RealEstateRama) — Realizing that achieving self-sufficiency stabilizes both the individual and the community, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has announced a major funding award to a local nonprofit organization helping eligible Lufkin residents secure affordable rental housing while working toward financial independence.
TDHCA awarded $250,000 in rental assistance funds to Buckner Children & Family Services, a nonprofit organization providing a wide range of community-based services in several areas of the state. The agency will use the funds to help an estimated 20 local low income Lufkin households with their monthly rent payments.
“Finding a safe, affordable place to call home is a monthly challenge for too many Texans,” said TDHCA Executive Director Michael Gerber. “Unfortunately, the challenge is even greater in rural parts of our state where there are simply fewer housing choices. These funds will not only make an immediate impact on the lives of these tenants, they have the potential to create the long-term benefits of self-reliance.”
Buckner Children & Family Services will use the award to help subsidize rents and make security and utility deposits for eligible low income households, ensuring they can find decent, affordable rental housing. The assistance is available for up to 24 months. In return, tenants must participate in a self-sufficiency program with the goal of achieving eventual financial independence.
These rental assistance funds were awarded through TDHCA’s HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HOME funds are designed to assist households at or below 80 percent of the area median family income (AMFI). For Lufkin and Angelina County, this equals an annual income of $39,450 for a family of four.
Eligible applicants include qualifying units of local government, public housing authorities, Community Housing Development Organizations and other nonprofit groups, and qualifying for-profit organizations.
About The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is Texas’ lead agency responsible for affordable housing, community services, energy assistance, and colonia housing programs. The Department annually administers more than $400 million through for-profit, nonprofit, and local government partnerships to deliver local housing and community-based opportunities and assistance to Texans in need.
Contact: Gordon Anderson 512.475.4743
Jill McFarren 512.475.2844
