Schumer Announces Nearly $10 Million In Federal Funds Coming To People Inc. In Erie County

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that People Inc. in Erie County will receive two grants totaling $9,775,900.00 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 202 program. These federal funds will be used to provide lowincome housing for seniors in the municipalities of Angola and Orchard Park

"This is terrific news for senior citizens and their families in Erie County," Schumer said. "With so many seniors living in substandard housing, it is crucial that organizations like People Inc. continue to have the funds they need to work to provide safe, affordable housing for our lowincome seniors."

Located in Western New York, People Inc. is dedicated to enabling seniors, families and people with disabilities to live more healthy, independent and productive lives. People Inc. provides a variety of services including residential, employment, community outreach, health care and recreation programs.  People Inc. has especially excelled in the area of senior housing, awarded the "US National Best Practices Award for Senior Housing" by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.  

Schumer wrote a letter of support for these federal funds to HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson in May of this year. In it, he stressed the importance of reasonable housing for the elderly in Erie County.  

HUD's Section 202 program allows for elderly to live as independently as possible in the community by increasing the supply of rental housing with the availability of supportive services.  Under this program, capital advances are made to private nonprofit organizations or nonprofit consumer cooperatives to build, acquire, and/or rehabilitate rental housing with supportive services for elderly persons, including the frail elderly, who are 62 years of age or older.  The capital advance is interestfree and does not have to be repaid as long as the housing remains available for very lowincome elderly persons for at least 40 years.  Project rental assistance is used to cover the difference between the HUDapproved operating cost per unit and the tenant's rent.