GREEN BAY, WI — Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) today joined U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson in Green Bay for a roundtable discussing the role that public-private partnerships play in addressing affordable housing issues. The roundtable took place in an Opportunity Zone, and was followed by a tour of the Broadway Loft Apartments.
“Ensuring our community has access to affordable housing has never been more important,” said Rep. Gallagher. “I thank Secretary Carson for coming to Northeast Wisconsin to highlight the important work of nonprofits like the Brown County United Way, Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity, and Neighborworks. I was proud to support their work during the pandemic and will continue to do so in Congress.”
“Housing prices have risen to the level that there are many in the workforce who maintain a job, but still cannot afford a place to call home,” said HUD Secretary, Ben Carson. “Today, it was a pleasure to see a new development in an Opportunity Zone that offers much needed affordable housing to the community. Developments like this are proof President Trump’s deregulation policies and Opportunity Zone incentives are working.”
The groups highlighted at the roundtable today have all taken important actions to increase accessibility to affordable housing in Green Bay.
  • Brown County United Way created Neighborhood Partnerships Grants with the desire to impact the community on a grassroots level through smaller, flexible, easier to obtain funds ($1,000-$10,000 each) that could be distributed to eligible non-profit organizations in Downtown, Joannes Park, Navarino, and Whitney Park neighborhoods. These grants are intended to provide funding for project/program/activity-based initiatives and exclude any funding of on-going services, and phase one round one of grants totaled $35,000.
  • Neighborworks Green Bay is a HUD approved Housing Counseling Agency, a FHA approved lender, a renovator of older housing offered for sale to homebuyers, an owner of rental housing for single persons and families, and a lessor of commercial space to nonprofit organizations. Additionally, Neighborworks received a grant through Brown County United Way for neighborhood infrastructure and engagement.
  • Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity has helped over 120 families realize their dream of home ownership and has diverted from landfills 8 million pounds of reusable materials through merchandise sales and recycling since their opening on 2009.
Click HERE for photos from the event available for broadcast and publication.
Background:
The CARES Act, which passed the House earlier this year with Rep. Gallagher’s support, delivered critical relief to homeowners and renters. The bill provided up to 180 days of forbearance for borrowers of a federally backed mortgage loan, and suspended evictions for 120 days following the bill’s enactment. The bill also provided $1.25 billion to public housing agencies, $4 billion to support the homeless, and $1 billion to ensure there is no loss of housing for low-income individuals and families living in rental assistance properties.
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