The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday that it will award nearly $20 million to the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles to make improvements to public housing properties.
The Los Angeles County Development Authority received about $7.1 million. The funding was part of HUD’s nationwide $2.7 billion series of grants for public housing improvements.
The funds are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which offers annual funding to about 2,900 public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate and/or modernize public housing.
Housing authorities use the funding to complete large-scale improvements such as replacing roofs or making energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems, according to HUD.
HACLA officials said that because the money has not yet been distributed to the city, it has not made any plans for it. Officials said HUD will make distribution announcements in March or April, and plans will be announced afterward.
The funding comes a day after HUD Secretary Ben Carson visited the Southland to participate in a panel discussion on homelessness at the University of Southern California, which several Los Angeles elected officials attended, with much of the discussion centered on affordable housing stock.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin introduced a series of recommendations aimed at expanding the city’s affordable housing stock, which included an option for the city to start a social housing program.