Federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development is going to support public housing in the state.
The funding is planned to help upgrade and modernize 30 public housing projects statewide, with each grant for each housing authority adding up to $17.6 million in total funding. It comes from the agency’s Public Housing Capital Fund Formula Grant Program.
“Ensuring West Virginians have a roof over their head and a warm place to sleep at night continues to be one of my top priorities. Thousands of West Virginians and millions of Americans are currently experiencing homelessness, and we must work together to combat this devastating issue,” Sen. Joe Manchin said in a joint statement with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito announcing the funding.
Approximately 1,238 people in the state experienced homelessness in 2022, according to an HUD report.
Some of the largest awarded grants include more than $3 million dollars to the Charleston/Kanawha Housing Authority, more than $2 million to the Housing Authority of Huntington and $1.5 million to the Housing Authority of the City of Wheeling.
The full list includes:
- $3,203,383 to the Charleston/Kanawha Housing Authority
- $2,080,718 to the Housing Authority of the City of Huntington
- $1,548,515 to the Housing Authority of the City of Wheeling
- $917,453 to the Clarksburg/Harrison Housing Authority
- $834,218 to the Housing Authority of the City of Martinsburg
- $730,277 to the Housing Authority of the City of Williamson
- $677,898 to the Housing Authority of the City of Beckley
- $655,307 to the Housing Authority of the City of Moundsville
- $587,038 to the Housing Authority of the City of Grafton
- $484,533 to the Housing Authority of the City of Bluefield
- $473,645 to the Housing Authority of the City of Parkersburg
- $472,182 to the Housing Authority of the County of Jackson
- $465,911 to the Housing Authority of Benwood and McMechen
- $424,165 to the Fairmont/Morgantown Housing Authority
- $419,561 to the Housing Authority of the City of Mount Hope
- $410,445 to the Housing Authority of the City of Pt. Pleasant
- $327,518 to the Housing Authority of the City of Spencer
- $320,434 to the Housing Authority of the City of South Charleston
- $297,897 to the Housing Authority of the City of Dunbar
- $275,860 to the Housing Authority of the City of Weirton
- $254,458 to the Housing Authority of the City of Piedmont
- $244,592 to the Housing Authority of the City of Keyser
- $238,128 to the Housing Authority of the City of St. Albans
- $233,710 to the Housing Authority of the City of Buckhannon
- $232,844 to the Housing Authority of Boone County
- $206,771 to the Housing Authority of the City of Elkins
- $190,858 to the Housing Authority of the City of Romney
- $154,426 to the Housing Authority of Raleigh County
- $138,668 to the Housing Authority of Mingo County
- $132,187 to the Housing Authority of the City of Weston
The HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program Funding Assignment for Homeownership Fees Program, awarded to the Charleston/Kanawha Housing Authority, would also see $200 per household awarded to cover homeownership closing fees for families switching from renting.