Senator Collins Announces Nearly $650,000 for Ellsworth, Brewer, and Bangor Housing Authorities

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, announced today that housing authorities in Ellsworth, Brewer, and Bangor will receive a total of $639,264 through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Grant Program.

“The dedicated staff at housing authorities throughout Maine work hard to link seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income individuals and families with access to an array of programs that help them improve their living conditions and achieve economic independence.  With this funding, housing authorities in Ellsworth, Brewer, and Bangor will continue their work with the local communities to ensure that the needs of their residents are met,” said Senator Collins. “As the Chairman of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, I have worked diligently to ensure that housing authorities have the resources to meet the housing and supportive service needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.”

The funding will be allocated as follows:

·         Ellsworth Housing Authority will receive $197,708

·         City of Brewer Housing Authority will receive $206,250

·         City of Bangor Housing Authority will receive $235,306

The ROSS program provides funding to hire Service Coordinators who assess the needs of residents of public or Indian housing and coordinate available resources in the community to meet those needs. This program works to promote the development of local strategies to coordinate with public and private resources to provide supportive services and resident empowerment activities. These services enable participating families to increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance, make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency, or, in the case of elderly or disabled residents, help improve living conditions and enable residents to age-in-place.