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WASHINGTON - Thousands of young people who have not completed or who are at-risk of dropping out of high school will get a second chance to graduate while beginning a possible career in the construction trades because of nearly $54 million in grants announced today by Housing and Urban Development Acting Secretary Alphonso Jackson. The grants are part of HUD's Youthbuild Program to provide job training, leadership skills and academic schooling to an estimated 3,300 low-income young people. These grants will also help build and rehabilitate more than 1,700 affordable housing units for lower income families (see attached list).

"Youthbuild grants help young people get back on the right track by not only providing them the education they need but the training they can use for careers in homebuilding," said Jackson. "It's a wonderful feeling to know these young people discover the satisfaction of a job well done and local communities get more affordable housing in the process."

Young people who participate in these Youthbuild programs experience difficulty finding good jobs because they lack high school diplomas and necessary job skills. The grants announced today will help these young men and women to receive high school equivalency diplomas and provide training in homebuilding skills that will qualify them for careers in the building industry.

HUD's Youthbuild Program provides young people between the ages of 16 and 24 with on-the-job training to acquire construction skills by building and renovating single-family homes and multi-family apartments. The homes are then sold at affordable prices to low- and very low-income persons as well as homeless individuals and families. In addition, these grants are anticipated to generate millions of additional dollars from other public and private sources. Youthbuild grants totaling $437 million have been awarded since 1993.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.