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HUD awards Fort Worth $5 million grant for affordable housing initiatives

Fort Worth, Texas – The City of Fort Worth has received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the first Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) initiative in what appears to be a huge boost in efforts to achieving affordable housing targets. Announced on Monday by HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman and Vice President Kamala Harris, the program funds $85 million to improve housing affordability all throughout the country.

The announcement was followed by a press conference held at the City’s New City Hall on Tuesday, where local officials detailed their plans for using the money to address housing problems in historically poor Fort Worth neighborhoods.

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The PRO Housing program is meant to assist areas showing active efforts in eliminating needless obstacles to home development. The grantees are supposed to change land use policies, revise housing plans, and streamline the permission procedures to create surroundings fit for the growth of homes. The money also aims to support new construction and help to preserve already available reasonably priced homes.

Mayor Mattie Parker of Fort Worth highlighted the impact of the grant.

“With over one-third of households burdened by high housing costs, this grant will be a crucial step in ensuring that all residents have access to affordable and quality homes. The City of Fort Worth’s commitment to increasing the housing supply and reducing costs is clearly reflected in this transformative initiative for Fort Worth,” Mayor Mattie Parker said.

The City of Fort Worth has received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for PRO Housing program

Using the federal money, the Neighborhood Services Department of the city will lead the initiatives to find and remove barriers impeding the growth of affordable housing. Fort Worth now struggles with high property prices, limited land use rules, and a large financial deficit in housing finance—estimated to need at least $3.5 billion to satisfy low-income renters.

New housing projects find great difficulty in Fort Worth, much above the Texas average, given the high cost of land and outdated, frequently discriminatory land use practices. Redlining and institutionalized racism are among historical problems that aggravate growth impediments even further.

Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens of District 5 further explained the planned initiatives.

“This funding will enable us to build and redevelop affordable housing in historically challenged areas, streamline approval processes, and redevelop existing land for housing and transit-oriented development,” Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens, District 5, said.

“The PRO Housing program aims to lower housing costs, increase access to homeownership, and create more housing-forward communities. By addressing local barriers such as zoning decisions, land use policies, inefficient procedures, and inadequate infrastructure, we can meet the acute demand for affordable housing for lower-income households,” Bivens added.

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Aiming to build inclusive communities with sustainable economic growth, the grant fits the larger mission of the Biden-Harris Administration to address the affordable housing crisis in America. Fort Worth sets an example for other cities struggling with comparable home affordability concerns as it starts these transforming projects.

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