Puerto Rico Boys & Girls Club gets $432K in HUD funding
The Puerto Rico Boys & Girls Club will receive $432,154 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to hire and maintain service coordinators who will assess the needs of residents of conventional public housing in addition to coordinating available resources in the community.
The federal agency made the announcement, confirming that service coordinators assist residents of public housing to make progress toward economic and housing goals by removing educational, professional, and health-related barriers.
In total, HUD allocated $30 million to be distributed among 111 Public Housing Agencies (PHAs), Tribally Designated Housing Entities, resident associations, and nonprofit organizations supported by residents, PHAs, and/or tribes/TDHEs across the country to fund 135 service coordinator positions.
Key changes to the 2022 program funding includes raising the maximum salary for Service Coordinators, adding Digital Inclusion to the list of areas of need, and making direct services an eligible expense when there are service provider gaps, the agency stated.
“These changes will result in better, more consistent services and increased engagement with the local partners to address the needs of both the residents and the community itself,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge.
“Through addressing residents’ needs, we can increase stability in housing, health, and personal finance,” she said. “Service coordinators encourage a holistic approach to providing for the needs of public housing residents.”
“These service coordinators will play an important role in supporting residents, particularly the growing demographic of the disabled and elderly, as they gain greater independence within their communities,” said Fudge.
