WHEDA awarded $2.5 million to improve housing assistance

WHEDA AWARDED $2.5 MILLION TO IMPROVE HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Estimated 170 affordable homes for Wisconsin’s most vulnerable residents

The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) was recently awarded over $2.5 million in rental assistance by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide permanent, affordable rental housing, and supportive services up to an estimated 170 households for extremely low-income persons with disabilities across the state. The actual number of households supported will be determined by HUD’s published fair market rents.  WHEDA will administer the funds through a partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).

Funding has been made available through HUD's Section 811 Project Rental Assistance (PRA) program, which was designed to prevent homelessness and expand rental assistance for people with disabilities. The program will offer opportunities for select individuals looking to transition out of an institutional setting and back into the community. WHEDA and DHS will select properties for PRA assistance, identify individuals to integrate into mainstream housing, and provide community-based support services to those individuals.

“These funds will provide rental subsidies to help move some of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable residents out of homelessness, or from institutional settings, to safe, affordable, permanent housing,” said WHEDA Executive Director Wyman Winston. “WHEDA looks forward to working with DHS to support the housing needs of communities across our great state.”

“This assistance will give more individuals with disabilities a place to call home. This program helps foster independence and provides more resources for people with disabilities to live in the community,” said DHS Secretary Kitty Rhoades.

WHEDA is one of 25 state Housing Finance Agencies (HFA) chosen from 35 applicants for HUD funding awards. 

WHEDA is a public body corporate and politic created in 1972 by the Wisconsin Legislature that provides low‐cost financing for housing, small business and agricultural development. Since 1972, WHEDA has financed more than 77,000 affordable rental units, helped more than 118,000 families purchase their first homes and made more than 29,000 small business and agricultural loan guarantees. For more information, call 1-800-334-6873 or browse this web site.