Grants will transform and upgrade public housing projects while creating jobs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Donovan today announced that HUD is awarding $96 million in grants to 15 public housing authorities across the country to make substantial improvements to thousands of public housing units nationwide.

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New Intermediaries Will Provide Greater Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs

WASHINGTON - With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding an additional $50 million for loans and $24 million for technical assistance, the U.S. Small Business Administration is expanding its Microloan program and increasing access to capital for small businesses across the country.

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Grants bring total HUD's Recovery Act investment in Native American and Alaskan communities to a half billion dollars

ANCHORAGE - During a visit to an Anchorage, Alaska community today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that HUD is awarding 61 grants, totaling $132 million, to Native American and Native Alaskan communities across the country to improve housing and stimulate community development (see below for detailed grant list). The announcement came during a visit to the Mountain View community in Anchorage, which has received Recovery Act funding. The Secretary was joined by U.S. Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan, and other local elected and housing officials.

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WASHINGTON - Recipients of funds disbursed by federal agencies under the $787 billion economic recovery program will be able to register at a government website beginning Monday, Aug. 17.

State and local governments, contractors, universities, non-profits and others that have received a grant, loan or contract of $25,000 or more under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are required to register on the website, www.FederalReporting.gov. Individual recipients of Recovery funds are not required to register or report.

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WASHINGTON - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 calls for all recipients of Recovery
funds to report on the use of these monies to the Recovery Board by Oct. 10. Registration for recipients
is well under way on FederalReporting.gov, with nearly 22,000 already registered. However, the Board
strongly encourages those not yet registered to do so immediately to ensure that, when actual reporting
occurs between Oct. 1 and Oct. 10, recipients will be able to maximize the efficacy of the reporting system.

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The Department of Energy (DOE) received $38 billion in Recovery Act funding for various initiatives, including promoting energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse emissions. The DOE Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviewed whether the agency could appropriately track this unprecedented amount of funding and measure how its Recovery Act-related programs were performing. The OIG found that the agency has been proactive and made positive efforts to ensure accurate, timely, and reliable reporting of its Recovery spending; however, there were also some challenges that the agency needs to address, such as:

• ensure existing systems are able to handle the increased workload resulting from the agency's Recovery funding, and
• develop quantifiable and reliable measures to fully evaluate the overall successes of programs funded with Recovery money.

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HUD received $1.5 billion in Recovery Act funding to help families and individuals who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by helping them pay rent and utility bills, and cover other housing expenses. The Office of Management and Budget requires Federal agencies that receive Recovery funds to assess the potential risks for improper misuse of the money and to develop plans for reducing any identified risks. In reviewing HUD's risk assessment for the homelessness prevention and housing program, the agency's Office of Inspector General found that controls were in place to account for and report on the Recovery funds received.

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The USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) is reviewing how the agency is distributing $3.8 billion in Recovery Act loans and grants for water and waste disposal systems in rural areas. In this first report, the OIG found that USDA's current method of allocating Recovery funds to the states may not target those communities with the greatest needs, and recommended that USDA fund only those projects with the highest priority.

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Grants Will Help Improve Access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced almost $5 million in grants for seven State agencies to simplify the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application and eligibility systems and improve access to program benefits for America's low-income households. Formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, SNAP helps ensure that people have access to healthy and nutritious food; the program is currently serving 66 percent of all who are eligible to participate.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $1.7 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the city of Hutchinson, Kan., to help build a rail spur to serve the Salt City Business Park. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $2.5 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to Dorchester County, S.C., to help build infrastructure to support business development needs in the biotechnology sector. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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www.foodsafety.gov features the latest food safety and recall information from across the government

WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the co-chairs of the Obama Administration's Food Safety Working Group, unveiled a new consumer Web site today at www.foodsafety.gov. The site is designed to help consumers and families get all the latest information on food safety and food recalls in one convenient place.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today visited Madison, Tenn., as part of the Obama Administration's 'My Education, My Future' events. Secretary Vilsack joined students at Amqui Elementary School to watch President Obama's speech live and have a conversation about the importance working hard, setting educational goals and taking responsibility for their education.

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General Services Administration Press Release

WASHINGTON – In a major step toward developing a state-of-the-art website that provides the public with a user-friendly portal to see how recovery money is being spent, the U.S. General Services Administration, on behalf of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, recently awarded Smartronix Inc. with a contract to build the new Recovery.gov website.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,096,423 grant to assist approximately 178 workers affected by layoffs at Alcoa North American Rolled Products in Bettendorf, Iowa, and John Deere Davenport Works in Davenport, Iowa.

"Iowa workers affected by these layoffs need and deserve support," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The grant announced today will provide retraining, job search assistance and other services to help them prepare for career track positions in promising regional industries."

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $11,058,877 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of West Virginia. West Virginia qualified for a portion of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $42,489,921 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Colorado. Colorado qualified for a portion of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by allowing workers to use their more recent earnings to qualify for benefits.

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USDA received approximately $1 billion in Recovery Act funding to directly finance housing loans for individuals at low- and very-low income levels living in rural areas. As part of its ongoing oversight, the USDA Office of Inspector General issued three reports identifying weaknesses that may hinder the agency's management of its Recovery funds and recommended that the agency:

• develop additional performance measures to fully evaluate and report on the overall success of direct loans funded with Recovery money
• conduct quarterly reviews of delinquent loans to assess the quality of loan decisions
• make better use of the additional funding from the Recovery Act for administering the Recovery-related direct loans, and develop plans for optimizing existing staff resources to ensure the loans are processed timely and properly.

1. Direct Loans for Rural Housing Need Additional Performance Measures
2. Reviews of Lender Loan Underwriting Need Improvements
3. Direct Loan Program Needs to Better Utilize Recovery Act Funding for Administrative Costs

All U.S. States, Territories, and D.C. Apply to Participate in Program

WASHINGTON - The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that it has received applications representing all 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia to participate in NTIA's State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program, which will assist NTIA in creating a national broadband map. This unprecedented initiative will provide consumers with better information on the broadband Internet services available to them and inform policymakers' efforts to increase broadband availability nationwide.

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Fort Worth, Texas, will receive $10.85 million in Recovery Act funding for community development and housing programs, such Neighborhood Stabilization and Homeless Prevention and Housing. Because Fort Worth has had trouble managing grants funded with non-Recovery money, HUD's Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluated the city's ability to administer its Recovery-related funds. The OIG found several weaknesses and recommended that HUD require Fort Worth to correct the past deficiencies and that HUD also monitor the city's spending of the additional Recovery Act funding.

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EPA: This money will create jobs to help clean up leaks from underground storage tanks and protect Oregon's land and water

(Portland, Oregon - September 3, 2009) EPA announced it is distributing $2,694,000 to Oregon in the form of a cooperative agreement for assessing and cleaning up underground storage tank petroleum leaks. The cooperative agreement between Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) and EPA includes a detailed description of the state's spending plans.

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Bethlehem, Pennsylvania received $1.1 million in Recovery Act funds for projects to develop low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, and to help homeless persons and families. The HUD Office of Inspector General conducted an audit to determine if Bethlehem can effectively administer its Recovery Act funds and concluded that the city has controls in place to manage how it spends and accounts for these dollars.

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USDA's program for Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loans received almost $10.5 billion in Recovery Act funds for loans in rural areas. As of June 3, 2009, the program had made more than $4.3 billion available to guarantee more than 36,000 loans. USDA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the agency had allowed lenders to submit property appraisals without taking into account declining markets, up-to-date comparables, or distressed sales of foreclosed properties. The OIG noted that these conditions could expose USDA to losses and recommended that USDA:

• ensure that property appraisers' reports clearly indicate how rural market trends and conditions were impacting assessments of property values, and
• require technical reviews of selected appraisal to determine if professional appraisal standards were being met.

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The Recovery Act calls for USDA to make $2.9 billion in guaranteed loans to businesses and industries in rural areas. As part of its ongoing oversight of these Recovery funds, the USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) found weaknesses in how the agency determines the eligibility of borrowers and recommended that USDA:

• prohibit borrowers from using leased property as collateral because the property lacks the value needed to secure the government's guaranteed loans, and
• require all borrowers of Recovery-funded loans to certify that none of their incomes are derived from gambling operations.

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The Department of Labor (DOL) received more than $40 billion under the Recovery Act to expand unemployment benefits, increase employment and training opportunities, build and rehabilitate Job Corps Centers, enforce worker protection laws, and provide expanded unemployment benefits. Federal agencies must account for Recovery funds separately from other agency funds. DOL's Office of Inspector General conducted an audit to determine if the agency had implemented procedures to account for and report on Recovery funds as required by law. The OIG had some concerns but found, in general, that the agency has implemented the appropriate procedures related to its Recovery funds. The agency agreed that it will remain vigilant in all aspects of financial management and will address the OIG's concerns.

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Technical experts will help communities better manage backlog of foreclosed homes

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD is launching a $50 million effort to help state and local governments address the inventory of foreclosed properties assisted under the Department's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). HUD is awarding $44.5 million to nine national organizations and another $5.5 million to help local communities purchase, rehabilitate and resell foreclosed properties in especially hard-hit neighborhoods.

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Grants bring total HUD's Recovery Act investment in Native American and Alaskan communities to over a half billion dollars

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that HUD is awarding five grants, totaling $2.5 million, to Native American and Native Alaskan communities across the country to improve housing and stimulate community development.

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Improvements will increase energy efficiency, reduce costs and create jobs

OAKLAND - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims today visited Palo Vista Garden Community, an Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) property that is receiving funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) for capital improvements and energy efficiency upgrades. It is one of seven developments that is receiving funding through OHA's total $10.6 million Recovery Act Public Housing Capital Fund (PHCF) grant.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today certified for release $20,934,147 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of New Hampshire. New Hampshire qualified for the remaining two-thirds of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by making it easier for unemployed workers seeking part-time work and those unemployed for family reasons to be eligible for benefits.

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WASHINGTON —Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the August 2009 Employment Situation report issued today:

"This past August, the economy lost 216,000 jobs — fewer than what most experts expected. The overall unemployment rate is now 9.7 percent. Last month's jobs loss is an improvement from the average 700,000 jobs our economy was losing every month when this administration took office, but is still by no means acceptable."

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WASHINGTON — During a visit to Iowa today, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced a $521,910 grant to assist approximately 90 workers affected by layoffs at Featherlite Inc. located in Cresco, Iowa.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has certified for release $200,767,125 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to the state of Illinois. Illinois qualified for the remaining two-thirds of its share of the funds available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) by including certain family-friendly provisions in its UI law.

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Secretary Duncan Announces $11.37 Billion in Title I, IDEA, and Vocational Rehabilitation Funds Available to States, Schools Ahead of Schedule

Delivering unprecedented resources to states and school districts, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that more than $11 billion is now available to further save jobs and drive reforms. The Department of Education has made available ahead of schedule the second half of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding—$11.37 billion—in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, IDEA, and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) grants and provided further guidance to states and schools on use of funds, flexibility, and the need for collaboration across programs.

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HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today unveiled a new feature on Grants.gov to help users find and apply for The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant opportunities. Grants.gov contains information about finding and applying for all federal grant programs.

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Second Half of Title I, IDEA and VR Funds to be Released 30 Days Early
Washington, DC — U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that the Department will accelerate stimulus spending by making $11.37 billion in Title I, IDEA, and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) funding, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), available to states one month early to help save jobs and drive reform.
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Funding will stimulate the production of 65 affordable housing units stalled by recession and create quality jobs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims today visited Cedar Gateway Developments in San Diego, CA, an affordable housing development that was under construction but came to a halt last March due to the loss of tax credit funding. HUD Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) funding, provided through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), will now allow the project's construction to restart in November, along with thousands of others throughout the country, creating quality jobs in the hard-hit construction industry.

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Rural high school and college students from Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee conducted medical research this summer with a team of leading scientists at Vanderbilt University under an innovative program supported with Recovery Act funds. The two-year $320,720 grant, awarded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), supplements an existing research project led by Billy G. Hudson, Ph.D., professor of medicine, pathology and biochemistry and director of the Center for Matrix Biology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $578,574 grant to assist approximately 50 workers affected by layoffs at Sauer Danfoss Inc. in Hillsboro, Ore.
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Money marks first time Congress appropriates HAI prevention funds specifically to states
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today announced plans to distribute $40 million to state health departments to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the money will be distributed through cooperative agreements to 49 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico to maximize prevention efforts.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $500,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to Memphis Incubator Systems, Inc., and Memphis Center City Revenue Finance Corp., Memphis, Tenn., to help renovate and expand the EmergeMemphis business incubator facility. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced an $800,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the city of Spring Valley, Minn., to help expand the local industrial park. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $2.7 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to Lee County and the Community Development Foundation of Tupelo, Miss., to help expand the Renasant Center for IDEAs business incubator facility. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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For this second bimonthly report, GAO focused on nine federal programs that are expected to account for approximately 87 percent of Recovery Act funding to states and localities in Fiscal Year 2009. GAO looked at selected states' and localities' current and planned use of these Recovery funds, along with their approaches for ensuring accountability of the funds received, and evaluating the impact of the funds. The report recommended several ways to improve the monitoring of Recovery Act programs at the state level, such as:

• The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should leverage Single Audits as an oversight tool for evaluating Recovery Act programs. The Single Audit Act requires state and local governments and nonprofit organizations receiving more than $500,000 in federal awards in a year to obtain an audit.
• Congress should consider a mechanism to help fund the additional costs and efforts for auditing Recovery Act programs.

Click here to view the summary of the GAO findings or here for the full report.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $4.3 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the city of Scottsburg, Ind., to construct the Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TIE) Center, which will serve as a conference hall and manufacturing/technology business incubator. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced an $800,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to ACCION/Chicago, Inc., of Chicago, Ill., to establish a revolving loan fund for business micro lending in Cook County. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $1 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the city of Petersburg, Alaska, to help renovate a multi-purpose dock. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $2 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the Georgia Ports Authority of Savannah, Ga., to expand the capacity of the Garden City Terminal at the Port of Savannah. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $3.7 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to Itawamba Community College of Tupelo, Miss., to renovate a facility for use as a one-stop workforce development and training center. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced an $886,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the city of Fosston, Minn., to build infrastructure to support the expansion of the Fosston industrial park. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $2.2 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to Bristol Bay Borough of Naknek, Alaska, to purchase a crane and two forklifts for use at the town of Naknek's dock. The project, made possible because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the region.

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