WASHINGTON - Congressman Dale E. Kildee (D-MI) announced today that two private nonprofit organizations in Bay County would receive almost $6 million to help provide affordable housing for the low-income elderly.  The U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $5,952,900 to the Presbyterian Villages of Michigan through its part of its Section 202 program that assists the elderly by providing affordable rental housing.  Congressman Kildee wrote to HUD early last year in support of the efforts of Presbyterian Villages of Michigan to obtain this funding.

“I am pleased these funds will be made available to provide the elderly in our community with reliable, affordable housing,” said Kildee.  “Bay County and the surrounding areas have a large elderly population and this development will be of tremendous benefit to the entire region through the valuable community support and care services this funding will provide.”

The HUD Section 202 program is the principal federally funded construction program for housing designed specifically for older persons. It allows elderly persons to live as independently as possible in the community by increasing the supply of rental housing with the availability of supportive services.  Under this program, capital advances are made to private nonprofit organizations or nonprofit consumer cooperatives to build, acquire and/or rehabilitate housing with supportive services for elderly persons.  The advance is interest-free and does not have to be repaid as long as the housing remains available for very low-income elderly persons for at least 40 years.