Senator Collins Announces Nearly $900,000 for Portland Housing Authority

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Ranking Member of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that Portland Housing Authority (PHA) has been awarded a total of $882,883 through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Tenant Protection Voucher (TPV) program.

“Maine’s housing authorities provide an array of vital services to seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families,” said Senator Collins.  “As the Ranking Member of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to ensuring that the housing needs of all Mainers are met.  By supporting Portland Housing Authority, these vouchers will provide safe and affordable housing options for families who will be impacted by the rehabilitation of public housing units.”

“We are so grateful that these vouchers are being made available to ensure our residents remain safely housed during our transformation of Washington Gardens into a beautifully rehabilitated community,” said PHA Executive Director Cheryl A. Sessions.  “Nearly all of the residents will be able to remain in homes onsite, and will be relocated back as the rehab progresses.  Senator Collins’ support has been crucial in helping housing authorities nationwide preserve affordable low-income housing for many more years to come.”

Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPVs) are Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HVCs) primarily provided to protect HUD-assisted families from hardship as the result of a variety of actions that occur in HUD’s Public Housing properties, the Multifamily Housing portfolios, and Mod Rehab properties that would cause the family to lose housing assistance.  Portland Housing Authority proactively requested TPVs to ensure residents of its Washington Gardens community remain housed while the property undergoes a major rehabilitation.  

As the Ranking Member of the Housing Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins has worked hard to preserve and modernize affordable housing units across the State of Maine.  Last month, she announced that nineteen housing authorities received more than $10 million for the development, financing, and modernization of public housing properties.

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