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Weeks ago, President Bush almost didn’t sign the housing bill that would provide a remedy for the housing slump, because of a particular provision in the draft where about $4 billion in funds are slated to shoulder the costs for redeveloping and rehabilitating foreclosed properties in communities hit hard by the foreclosure wave. Fortunately, succeeding events led to the eventual signing of the housing bill in the latter part of July.

Because of this, communities will now be able to help themselves purchase and redevelop foreclosed properties. But even before the bill was signed into law, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) has already been helping communities through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

The CDBG is designed to address communities’ needs by providing them necessary resources during crucial times. Part of its mission is to make sure that residents with low to moderate incomes have decent and affordable housing, jobs, and get services depending on their needs.

You must’ve heard of this program already because the CDBG has been in operation since 1974. In fact, it is one of the longest-running programs at the agency. Many communities have already benefited from this. And now, it’s adding another set of distressed communities in its list of beneficiaries.

If you are a resident of Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Texas, the HUD will be assisting your communities after the terrible ordeal that was the most recent storms and floods. More than $100 million will be allocated to community redevelopment and rehabilitation of damaged homes and infrastructures in the said states. Seeing that the first three mentioned states had the worst damage, HUD allocated one third of the $300 million emergency fund to jumpstart their recovery.

Iowa will be getting $85 million; Indiana with $10 million, and Wisconsin, $5 million.

Meanwhile, after being declared a disaster area, three counties in Texas will get federal assistance. Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties will be eligible for temporary housing grants, home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help families recover from the storms’ destructive effects. FHA-insured homes will be covered by a foreclosure time-out for 90 days.

HUD Secretary Steve Preston is making sure that all operations are expedited so that your communities get the necessary assistance as quickly as possible.

Housing Assistance Network < http://new.housingassistancenetwork.com > - is a site that aims to help those who are in the low to moderate income brackets find financial assistance for housing, help in acquiring a new home, or grant programs from both state and non-government institutions.

Article source: http://new.housingassistancenetwork.com/posts/view/hud-provides-community-housing-assistance-to-calamity-stricken-states

About the Author

A freelance writer and part-time editor, photographer

Words are cheap. What matters is the true belief system behind your words and the actions you take because of those belief systems. Economies don’t improve, people improve. Waiting for something to happen is for losers. The most important economy is the one created between your ears.

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Thoreau said it best: “Things don’t change; people change.” Make a commitment to figure out why you want to do something. When the why gets strong, the how gets easy. When you know why you want something, ideas of how will flow to you. Concentrate on the solution, not the problem. When you dwell on the idea of a prosperous market you create the reality of a prosperous market.

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About the Author

Mark Tewart - Speaker, Consultant and Author of “How To Be A Sales Superstar: Break All the Rules and Succeed While Doing It” published by Wiley - Order a copy now at http://marktewart.com

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