REP. GALLEGO TOURS HOUSING SHELTER FOR WHICH HE SECURED NEARLY $2 MILLION IN FUNDING

PHOENIX – RealEstateRama – Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) toured UMOM New Day Center’s Family Shelter Expansion and Remodel Project and presented UMOM with a ceremonial $1.98 million check for the community project funding Rep. Gallego secured for the shelter.

“Ending Arizona’s homelessness crisis requires an all-encompassing approach, and I was proud to fight for UMOM’s Family Shelter Expansion and Remodel Project to increase the number of beds for struggling families,” Rep. Gallego said. “These funds will go a long way to support our most vulnerable. But there is more work to be done. In Congress, I have and will continue to push for more resources to uplift the lives of all Arizonans.”

The $1.98 million in funding goes toward redesigning, remodeling, and repurposing 24 shelter rooms at UMOM’s existing Phoenix campus, serving families experiencing homelessness.

The expansion is part of a larger project to redesign and remodel all 150 rooms in the building. The remodel will allow UMOM to add one bed to every room—expanding their capacity and allowing them to serve larger families. The complete 150-room redesign and remodel will allow UMOM to serve an additional 880 parents and children annually.

The remodel will also involve removing hazardous materials, including lead-based paint and asbestos, used in the original 1950s construction of the property.

The CPF funding for UMOM reflects Rep. Gallego’s leadership in fighting to end homelessness in Arizona. He previously supported $50 billion in emergency COVID-19 rental assistance and secured over $10 million directly to Arizona in housing and homelessness assistance programs, including:

• $1.5 million to house and support homeless Phoenix veterans.
• $2.8 million for housing affordable for veterans. (tiny homes)
• $1.3 million to support affordable housing for veterans, domestic abuse survivors, and low-income families.
• $1.9 million to provide a safe space for people experiencing homelessness in the City of Phoenix to store their things while they look for work.
• $750 thousand for transitional beds.
• $2.9 million for an affordable housing community.

Rep. Gallego also secured $668 million in funding for Phoenix through HUD, including $226 million in Community Development Block Grants, including:

• $54 million for the Emergency Solutions Grant Program to assist people with quickly regaining stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness.
• $124 million for the Home Investments Partnership Program to build, buy, and rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership, and to provide direct rental assistance to low-income people
• $41 million under the Housing Trust Fund to produce and preserve affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households.
• $110 million under the Continuum of Care Program to provide community-based solutions for ending homelessness.
• $23 million under the Public Housing Capital Fund for the modernization and development of public housing.

In February, Rep. Gallego hosted two roundtables with local leaders to discuss his efforts to increase affordable housing and how to tackle homelessness in Arizona.

READ MORE: ?? Ensuring Affordable Housing & Access To Homeownership in Arizona (Report)