October 14, 2011
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Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority

 

 

The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) recently announced that the WHEDA Foundation, Inc. is awarding $500,000 in housing grants to 30 special‐needs housing providers throughout the state. These grants, awarded during WHEDA’s annual Housing Grant Program competition, help housing providers build new facilities or make improvements to their existing facilities.

“For over 25 years, WHEDA has been in the fortunate position to offer financial support to special-needs housing providers in need through our foundation,” said WHEDA Executive Director Wyman Winston. “Wisconsin citizens in crisis depend on these providers for safe, affordable housing, so I’m pleased to announce that this year’s grant monies will create or improve approximately 1,200 beds and housing units across our great state.”
 
The winning 2011 grant proposals ranged from installing new smoke detectors and horn/strobe notification devices for a domestic violence shelter in Pierce County to providing handicapped accessible ramps and other accessibility improvements to over 30 households in Chippewa County. Each grant was awarded in one of two categories; emergency/transitional or permanent housing.
 
“Not only will these grants help improve affordable housing for underserved populations, the monies will help generate much needed construction jobs as grant recipients hire contractors to complete renovations and upgrades to their properties,” Winston added.
 
WHEDA received 78 applications through the housing grant competition this year totaling over $1.6 million in funding requests, an indication of the high demand in Wisconsin.
 
The annual Housing Grant competition is funded entirely by WHEDA reserves using no state tax dollars. Grants are awarded through WHEDA’s Persons-in-Crisis Housing Program Fund to nonprofit agencies, local governments, and tribal authorities in Wisconsin whose mission includes meeting the housing needs of low‐income or disadvantaged populations including homeless persons, runaways, alcohol or drug dependent persons, persons in need of protective services, domestic abuse victims, persons with developmental disabilities, low‐income or frail elderly persons, persons with chronic mental illness, persons with physical disabilities, persons living with HIV disease, and individuals or families who do not have access to traditional or permanent housing.
 
Since 1985, the WHEDA Foundation has issued over 900 awards totaling over $20 million to housing providers across the state. Established by WHEDA in 1983, the foundation is responsible for receiving and administering housing grant funds on behalf of WHEDA.
 
Click on the following link for a complete listing of 2011 grant award recipients.