Tuesday, Jun 28 2011 3:41PM
Repairs are needed for more than a million public housing units nationwide, a HUD study states.
A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that more than $25 billion in repairs are necessary for the nation's 1.2 million public housing units.
HUD's Capital Needs in the Public Housing Program study revealed substantial, large-scale infrastructure repairs are needed for these properties, including plumbing and electrical system updates, accessibility improvements for disabled residents, and water and energy conservation measures to make homes more sustainable and energy-efficient.
"The new capital needs estimate far exceeds our annual budget for these repairs and illustrates why America needs a long-term strategy to address the loss of thousands of public housing units annually," said Shaun Donovan, HUD Secretary.
Even though HUD used $4 billion in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create and renovate 380,000 public properties, more money is needed for the rest of the country's public housing.
According to the report, repairs are needed the most for affordable housing units in the West, as the average unit requires $39,221 in renovations.