HUD Asst. Secretary Michael Liu celebrates National
Homeownership Month in Seattle
Announces national innovation award for Seattle Housing
SEATTLE—June 17, 2003—Michael Liu, Assistant
Secretary for Public and Indian Housing for the U. S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) visited with local Seattle
housing partners today in celebration of National Homeownership
Month.
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Harry
Thomas (left) with Asst. Secretary Michael Liu and Norman B.
Rice, Pres. and CEO, Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle.
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Liu presented a certificate acknowledging the New
Face of America's Public Housing Award to the Seattle Housing
Authority. The award, a collaboration between HUD and the Congress
of New Urbanism, recognizes the housing authority’s achievement in
the transformation of Holly Park, a distressed public housing
community, into NewHolly, a mixed-income community featuring
home-ownership opportunities for people at all income levels, along
with market-rate and low-income rentals.
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Liu said, "NewHolly is a terrific example of
the effective use of mixed financing to achieve the common mission
of HUD and its housing partners—to help provide clean, safe,
affordable housing opportunities
and a suitable living environment in our communities. Expanding
homeownership helps to make the American Dream a reality for more
and more of our citizens."
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The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) administered
the awards proceedings under contract with HUD. Since its founding
in 1992, the nonprofit CNU has worked to create better neighborhoods
for all Americans. "NewHolly is working for the people who live
here," said Seattle Housing Authority Executive Director Harry
Thomas, "It is heartening to have our success here recognized
with this award at the national level.""The New Face of America's Public Housing"
Awards recognize mixed-finance developments that have demonstrated
innovation and leadership in the transformation of public housing
and the lives of residents. In addition to HUD's HOPE VI grants
totaling nearly $50 million for NewHolly, partners are contributing
additional public and private funds, bringing the projected total to
approximately $275 million.
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Also
featured in the program was Anh Nga Duong, who is in the
process of purchasing a home through NewHolly's lease to own
program. Ms. Duong was a former resident of Holly Park, and
now lives at NewHolly. She has been employed on the NewHolly
management staff and attended homeownership counseling classes
at NewHolly. "I had two dreams for my life in
America," she said. "One was to be able to have
employment, and the other was to own my own home. HOPE VI has
helped me to achieve both of my big dreams."
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National Homeownership Month is an annual recognition by HUD
and its partners to bring information about homeownership
opportunities to more Americans, including minorities.
Assistant Secretary Liu is celebrating National Homeownership
Month at NewHolly because the community exemplifies a wide
variety of home ownership opportunities for residents seeking
to move up the economic ladder. Programs to assist
homebuyers have included:
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Counseling for first time homebuyers in the buying process,
budgeting and credit repair.
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Down payment assistance through the City of Seattle Office of
Housing and HUD’s HOME program.
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Participation by Seattle Habitat for Humanity. This
organization has completed construction with twenty families on
their first homes at NewHolly, and will begin construction this
summer on the next eight.
The Seattle Housing Authority has removed 871 units of aging,
dilapidated housing and is replacing them with a mix of low-income,
moderate-income and market-rate housing. When completed, NewHolly
will include approximately 1,390 units of housing, 400 of which are
home ownership units – 100 of these will be affordable to people
at 80 percent or less of area median income ($56,500 for a family of
four).
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