7393 S Franklin St. Centennial CO 80122
March 15, 2012 by Bob Schenkenberger · Leave a Comment
HUD Awards $1.27 Million to Assist Colorado Homeless
March 14, 2012 by Bob Schenkenberger · Leave a Comment
****PRESS RELEASE****
HUD AWARDS $201 MILLION FOR NEW LOCAL HOMELESS PROGRAMS
Funding to support 731 programs including 103 projects located in rural communities
WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded nearly $201 million to support 731 new local homeless programs across the country. This fundingprovides critically needed emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent support for individuals and families and is a significant part of the Obama Administration’s strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. View a complete list of all the state and local projects awarded funding today.
HUD recently awarded $1.47 billion to renew funding to more than 7,100 existing local homeless programs operating across the U.S. That funding ensured housing and service programs remained operating in 2012. The grants announced today will support new local programs never before funded by HUD.
“Today’s grantees will join the tens of thousands of local programs that are on the front lines of helping those who might otherwise be living on our streets,” said Donovan. “It’s incredible that as we work to recover from the greatest economic decline since the Great Depression, the total number of homeless Americans is declining, in large part because of these funds.”
According to the latest data reported by more than 3,000 cities and counties throughout the U.S., homelessness declined 2.1 percent between 2010 and 2011and a remarkable 12 percent among homeless veterans.
The funding will support:
Ø Housing for more than 15,000 persons as well as services for individuals and families who are homeless across the country;
Ø Housing and services for 8,728 persons in families; and
Ø Housing and services for 5,684 persons who are chronically homeless, including both individuals and families.
HUD grants include $15.7 million to support 103 new housing and service programs located in rural communities. Funding to these never-before-funded programs in less populated areas continues HUD’s efforts to confront rural homelessness. HUD is delivering record funding to meet the unique challenges homeless individuals and families living in rural areas face.
HUD’s Continuum of Care grants provide permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons as well as services including job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local programs to meet the needs of their homeless clients. These grants fund a wide variety of programs from street outreach and assessment programs to transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families. Continuum of Care programs include:
Supportive Housing Program (SHP) offers housing and supportive services to allow homeless persons to live as independently as possible.
- Shelter Plus Care (S+C) provides housing and supportive services on a long-term basis for homeless persons with disabilities, (primarily those with serious mental illness, chronic problems with alcohol and/or drugs, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or related diseases) and their families who were living in places not intended for human habitation (e.g., streets) or in emergency shelters.
- Single-Room Occupancy Program (SRO) provides rental assistance for homeless persons in one-person housing units that contain small kitchens, bathrooms, or both.
In 2010, President Obama and 19 federal agencies and offices that form the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) launched the nation’s first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness.Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness puts the country on a path to end veterans and chronic homelessness by 2015 and to end homelessness among children, family, and youth by 2020.
In addition to HUD’s annual grant awards, HUD continues to manage the $1.5 billion Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing (HPRP) Program. Made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, this three-year grant program is intended to prevent persons from falling into homelessness or to rapidly re-house them if they do. To date, more than 1.2 million persons have been assisted through HPRP.
Denver Real Estate Market Statistics February 2012
March 7, 2012 by Bob Schenkenberger · Leave a Comment
Great News for the recovering Denver Real Estate Markets!
February – 2012 Real Estate Market Update
Entire MLS (All Areas)
Residential Highlights
- 13.7% Increase in closed sales year over year
- 45.5% Decrease in Absorption Rate (4.2 months)
- 39.7% Decrease in active listings year over year (8,202)
- 2.1% Increase in average sold price ($270,821)
Condo/Townhome Highlights
- 11.6% Increase in closed sales year over year
- 49.5% Decrease in inventory year over year (2,004)
- 3.5% Increase in average sold price ($161,143)
- 21.7% Decrease in average days on market (101)
Packing to Move Your Denver Home
February 13, 2012 by Bob Schenkenberger · Leave a Comment
Today we’re featuring a guest post from Joseph Ver, his bio is below…
I haven’t moved around much in my life. Having lived in the same home for a good fourteen years of my life, I can only attribute two big moves in my life. When I was three, I moved from the Philippines to San Antonio, Texas. I don’t really remember much from that move as I was still a young toddler. My second “big move” was two years ago to move up to Austin for College. My family still lives in the same house in San Antonio that I grew up in. Moving around constantly seemed like a strange concept to me. I remember going to school and having friends come and go. Some of my friends would move around the city while some would move to a new country. I would often wonder how it would feel to constantly be moving while having to lose friends make new ones. Just moving from San Antonio to Austin was strange enough.
A move is a very stressful time in one’s life, so it’s wise to find ways to make it much easier on yourself and your family. Here are some simple tips to making that next transition a little easier:
-Be on the lookout for free boxes. Many people are looking to get rid of their boxes. Ask around the places you shop as they may have an abundance of boxes that they may be able to give out. Even a quick search on Craigslist for “free boxes” can yield some great results.
-Be a smart packer. Use strong and sturdy boxes and make sure you label them properly. The last thing that you would want to be doing upon your move is to open every single box just to find something as simple as toiletries. Labeling things according to the room they belong in or writing something as simple as “Unpack first!” can save a lot of move in annoyances.
-Pack things according to necessity. Pack winter things together, so if you need them for the upcoming winter it will be available in one box. At the same time, you know you can also leave it unpacked for the hot summer.
-Take the time to research the area you will be living. Upon moving, the last thing you want to do is cook a meal in your new home. See who delivers pizza in your area. Look up reviews for any restaurants near you. One of the best ways to “get your feet in the water” is to find eats in the area. Food is a good indicator of the culture in your new community.
-If you’re staying in the surrounding area, a storage unit can help tremendously. Storing a few of your valuables during the move can help. Save some space in your new living area by assessing what can be stored away for a while and what needs to be set up. Searching for a facility near your new place can be a great way to transition into your new living place and can help you slowly unpack.
Do you have any personal moving tips from experience? Please share them through the comments!
Joseph Ver is an intern at SpareFoot. He is a double major in Digital Media Management and Marketing at Saint Edward’s University. His hobbies include cooking, exploring the city of Austin, and finding good places to eat. Searching for a storage unit is very easy with SpareFoot. With SpareFoot, you can compare prices and locations to help you with your next move. You may contact Joseph or Sparefoot Storage at 1-877-687-9771.
photo credit: Paul Nicholson
Colorado Housing Authority Awarded $10 Million
February 13, 2012 by Bob Schenkenberger · Leave a Comment
***PRESS RELEASE***
Congress gives approval to test HUD comprehensive affordable housing preservation program
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan awarded today public housing authorities in Colorado $10,307,643 that will be used to make major large-scale improvements to their public housing units. (See Colorado authorities below).
Today’s grants are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which provides annual funding to all public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. This funding can be used to make large-scale improvements such as new roofs and to make energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.
“This funding will help housing authorities address long-standing capital improvements, but it only scratches the surface in addressing the deep backlog we’re seeing across the country,” said Donovan. “Today, we are closer to helping housing authorities and our private sector partners undertake their capital needs over the long haul. With the passage of HUD’s 2012 budget, Congress gave HUD the go-ahead for a new, comprehensive and critical demonstration tool that we believe will help preserve and enhance America’s affordable housing, including public housing.”
HUD’s Rocky Mountain Region’s Administrator Rick Garcia added: “HUD is committed to improving public housing and creating communities that thrive. These funds help fill the gap for public housing agencies throughout the Rocky Mountain region to make enhancements and create more affordable housing.”
In November 2011, Congress gave HUD the approval to test a comprehensive tool to preserve public housing and other HUD-assistant housing. Congress authorized HUD to begin a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) as part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive strategy to keep these public and other HUD affordable homes on firm financial footing. Public housing authorities need nearly $26 billion to keep these homes safe and decent for families. But given our budget realities, HUD proposed this innovative way to confront the decline of the nation’s public and affordable housing stock.
In FY 2012, RAD will enable public housing authorities and owners to continue to make standard life-cycle improvements to their inventory and modernize or replace obsolete units to stem the loss of stock from private sector partners choosing to opt-out of affordable housing programs. The demonstration will bring more than 60,000 properties into a reliable, long term, project-based rental assistance contract – and allow public housing authorities to raise more than $6.1 billion in private financing to reduce the large backlog of capital repair needs and in the process, support significant job creation in communities across the country.
Sandra B. Henriquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, added, “We see Congress’ decision to allow this demonstration to begin as a victory, not only for HUD, but for countless communities that desperately want to improve their public housing and other affordable housing, as well as a victory for families who need quality housing they can afford and who want more options on where they might choose to live.”
Last year, HUD released Capital Needs in the Public Housing Program, a study that updated the national estimate of capital needs in the public housing stock in the U.S. The study found the nation’s 1.2 million public housing units are facing an estimated $25.6 billion in much-needed large scale repairs. Unlike routine maintenance, capital needs are the large-scale improvements required to make the housing decent and economically sustainable, such as replacing roofs or updating plumbing and electrical systems to increase energy efficiency. This study updates a 1998 analysis and includes costs to address overdue repairs, accessibility improvements for disabled residents, lead abatement, and water and energy conservation that would make the homes more cost effective and energy efficient.
Over the last 75 years, the federal government has invested billions in the development and maintenance of public and multifamily housing – including providing critical support through HUD’s Capital Fund, the grants announced today. Still, the nation continues to lose thousands of public housing units annually, primarily due to disrepair. To protect the considerable federal investment and respond to the growing demand for affordable rental housing, the Obama Administration proposed RAD. The details of the demonstration’s timeline and application are being prepared and HUD expects to issue a notice for public comment in the coming months.
The following housing authorities in Colorado will receive this funding:
| Housing Authority of the City And County of Denver |
$4,820,310.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Pueblo |
$990,028.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Walsenburg |
$167,366.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Alamosa |
$251,553.00 |
| Trinidad Housing Authority |
$245,571.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Lamar |
$35,398.00 |
| Housing Authority of the Town of Holly |
$19,705.00 |
| Housing Authority of Antonito |
$37,605.00 |
| Housing Authority of the Town of Yuma |
$57,631.00 |
| Fort Morgan Housing Authority |
$101,548.00 |
| Housing Authority of the Town of Limon |
$48,179.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Salida |
$57,288.00 |
| Wellington Housing Authority |
$49,949.00 |
| Housing Authority of the Town of Aguilar |
$22,952.00 |
| Boulder Housing Partners |
$410,130.00 |
| Housing Authority of the Town of Haxtun |
$27,324.00 |
| Housing Authority of the Town of Kersey |
$19,476.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Brighton |
$51,045.00 |
| Housing Authority of the Town of Keenesburg |
$20,992.00 |
| Julesburg Housing Authority |
$68,853.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Wray |
$48,962.00 |
| Holyoke Housing Authority |
$35,902.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Sterling |
$131,099.00 |
| Housing Authority for the Town of Cheyenne Wells |
$31,947.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Colorado Springs |
$799,748.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lupton |
$90,550.00 |
| Burlington Housing Authority |
$39,984.00 |
| La Junta Housing Authority |
$113,200.00 |
| Loveland Housing Authority |
$20,188.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Greeley |
$112,287.00 |
| Littleton Housing Authority |
$166,222.00 |
| Costilla County Housing Authority |
$73,755.00 |
| Conejos County Housing Authority |
$55,944.00 |
| Delta Housing Authority |
$100,857.00 |
| Fort Collins Housing Authority |
$188,756.00 |
| Center Housing Authority |
$37,796.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Brush |
$36,098.00 |
| Englewood Housing Authority |
$125,146.00 |
| Lakewood Housing Authority |
$202,731.00 |
| Aurora Housing Authority |
$215,572.00 |
| Adams County Housing Authority |
$79,213.00 |
| Louisville Housing Authority |
$16,990.00 |
| Housing Authority of the City of Fountain |
$41,644.00 |
| Housing Authority of the County of Montezuma |
$40,149.00 |
| TOTAL |
$10,307,643 |
The FY2012 Public Housing Capital Funding by state:
| State | Amount | State | Amount |
| Alabama | $54,411,568 | Nevada | $5,253,929 |
| Alaska | $2,215,118 | New Hampshire | $4,805,462 |
| Arizona | $7,516,272 | New Jersey | $61,937,486 |
| Arkansas | $17,504,267 | New Mexico | $5,567,987 |
| California | $72,252,584 | New York | $321,476,119 |
| Colorado | $10,307,643 | North Carolina | $48,137,960 |
| Connecticut | $20,964,829 | North Dakota | $2,073,197 |
| Delaware | $3,986,200 | Ohio | $77,937,803 |
| Florida | $49,658,600 | Oklahoma | $14,538,344 |
| Georgia | $64,067,418 | Oregon | $8,533,410 |
| Hawaii | $9,454,397 | Pennsylvania | $120,206,473 |
| Idaho | $887,959 | Rhode Island | $12,081,706 |
| Illinois | $128,103,330 | South Carolina | $20,297,831 |
| Indiana | $21,570,606 | South Dakota | $1,653,882 |
| Iowa | $4,672,512 | Tennessee | $50,216,600 |
| Kansas | $9,880,896 | Texas | $72,552,552 |
| Kentucky | $31,838,124 | Utah | $2,394,123 |
| Louisiana | $43,544,357 | Vermont | $1,948,080 |
| Maine | $5,056,956 | Virginia | $28,687,138 |
| Maryland | $26,848,339 | Washington | $26,602,619 |
| Massachusetts | $52,240,068 | West Virginia | $7,978,504 |
| Michigan | $31,099,543 | Wisconsin | $15,089,333 |
| Minnesota | $28,166,333 | Wyoming | $821,802 |
| Mississippi | $20,313,957 | District of Columbia | $14,193,015 |
| Missouri | $27,595,445 | Guam | $1,174,617 |
| Montana | $2,574,655 | Puerto Rico | $105,751,592 |
| Nebraska | $8,023,289 | US Virgin Islands | $5,389,187 |
| TOTAL: | $1,792,056,016 |