Rep. John Lewis Announces $700,000 Federal Grant to Assist Homeless Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 18, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-Ga.) announced today that the 5th District was granted $700,000 in affordable housing funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta), one of the 12 district banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

The funding will support two projects — The Commons at Nelms and the Phoenix House.  Funding for the Commons project will be used to develop 95 units of housing for veterans in Atlanta, in keeping with its mission. The agency provides veterans experiencing homelessness and/or disability with affordable housing and supportive services in partnership with the Veterans Administration.   Funding for the Phoenix House, a multifamily development for formerly homeless households with very low-incomes and some form of disability, will assist the redevelopment of the existing property to provide 77 units of permanent supportive housing for 5th District homeless.

“Affordable housing is one of the greatest challenges we face in metro Atlanta today, “said Rep. John Lewis.  “Very few private projects are developed these days to ensure that low to very-low income residents have a safe, decent, place to live.  Offering needed assistance of this kind is one of the ways the federal government works to help answer community problems motivated solely by the interests of public health and public safety, not profit. These grants could serve to secure the safety and longevity of more than 100 Atlanta metro residents.  They represent an important opportunity for our district.”

Including the 5th District, FHLBank Atlanta awarded a total of $2.8 million to affordable housing projects in Georgia.

Since 1990, FHLBank Atlanta has awarded funding to support 285 projects in Georgia that created or rehabilitated
17,658 units of quality, affordable rental and homeownership housing.

“AHP funding not only helps bring affordable housing to areas that have the greatest need, but also provides an important economic boost to entire communities,” said Robert Dozier, FHLBank Atlanta Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer.

FHLBank Atlanta awards AHP funds annually through a competitive application process. Applications for the 2015 AHP funding round will be accepted beginning June 2015. Potential applicants must work with an FHLBank Atlanta member financial institution to complete the AHP Competitive program application. A list of member financial institutions is available on the FHLBank Atlanta website at www.fhlbatl.com

Georgia 2014 AHP Winners

What is the funding process for federal grants?

There are two basic ways the federal government awards funds, through mandatory funding or discretionary funding.  Members of Congress vote on “authorizing” legislation that funds the mandatory commitments of the federal government for programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance and SNAP.  Also every year, levels of discretionary funding are determined during the Congressional appropriations process.  Rep. Lewis and all other members of Congress work to ensure that federal programs which provide key services within their districts are funded at levels requested by local government authorities and constituents they represent.

The federal grants announced by this release fall mainly in the discretionary category.  The money appropriated by Congress is sent to the federal agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which then disburse it directly to the states and local governments.  Sometimes federal agencies issue requests for proposals which place states, cities, and local organizations in competition with others around the country for the opportunity to gain federal support for a local project.  This is where the efficacy of city and state organizations are tested to determine whether they can compete effectively to receive those funds. Rep. Lewis often meets with and advises city, state or local agencies to help them strategize effective methods of engaging the federal agencies throughout the grant process.   (more)

Pell Grants, Byrne Justice Assistance, veterans’ services, LIHEAP home heating support, early education, COPS, YouthBuild, Jobs Corps, the CDC, minority health programs, TIGER, critical disease research initiatives, tenant and fair housing assistance all stem from Congressional discretionary funding.  Recent successful discretionary grant efforts from the 5th Congressional District of Georgia include the Atlanta Streetcar, the Multimodal Passenger Terminal, the Atlanta BeltLine, and the UTC.  Through his District Office, Rep. Lewis offers grants assistance and workshops to explain the federal grants process.  Please call 404-659-0116 if you are interested in participating in one of these workshops.