Rep. Costa Announces $1,350,000 In Federal Funding For Housing Authority of Kern County

September 21, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Jim Costa (D-Bakersfield) announced that a total of $1,350,000 has been awarded to the Housing Authority of Kern County to fund a "green" public housing transformation project at the Little Village. Kern County Housing Authority is only one of three housing authorities to have been awarded in the Western United States out of the 36 selected nationwide under this funding and the only housing authority in California to be selected. Funding was released by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Public Housing Capital Fund. These funds were provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

"This is great news for the Kern County Housing Authority," Costa said. "Rehabilitating public housing, to ultimately create a safer and more energy efficient building, is a sound investment of federal dollars. Making these improvements today will save money on bigger maintenance projects down the road."

"We are pleased to have been awarded these funds to modernize our Little Village Development to become more energy-efficient and to allow us to create more livable and sustainable neighborhood. We all need to be more sensitive and aware that our environmental resources need to be protected. Through this funding, the Housing Authority of the County of Kern will also create "green" jobs and generate energy savings for our residents," Max Bacerra said. Bacerra is the Chairman of the Housing Authority of the County of Kern Board.

These funds are specifically designated for the creation of energy efficient communities through substantial rehabilitation or new construction of public housing developments. Some activities include, but are not limited to, development of connections to neighborhoods and green spaces; site improvements that provide surface water management techniques, water conservation through the use of water-conserving appliances, and use of renewable energy resources.