Fifteen "distressed" homes, located in Austin’s northeast quadrant, will be purchased and demolished thanks to a $446,000 Small Cities Program grant from the state Trade and Economic Development Department awarded Monday.

Tuesday, February 15, 2000

Fifteen "distressed" homes, located in Austin’s northeast quadrant, will be purchased and demolished thanks to a $446,000 Small Cities Program grant from the state Trade and Economic Development Department awarded Monday. The substandard homes will be replaced with affordable single-family homes.

"It’s a competition every year," Tom Smith, deputy director of community development for Austin’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, said about the grant. "Typically, this is the kind of application they approve. … This spot renewal program isn’t new to us, but the grant gives us an additional source of funding."

State Sen. Pat Piper (DFL-Austin) announced the grant in a news release Monday. The money is part of nearly $25 million in annual small-cities grants. Those 33 federally financed grants will help rehabilitate or build about 800 houses for low- and moderate-income people, resolve some pollution problems and fight blight around the state.

"We’ve identified some properties we would like to acquire and probably demolish," Smith said. "That’s what the grant will pay for. We have other funds we will probably use to build the new homes."

Smith couldn’t offer any details on the design for the new homes; he said the HRA would be working with builders during the demolition stage. He did say the new homes would be for sale to income-qualified buyers, and that the HRA most likely would put together a package utilizing local and state programs to make the $80,000 to $90,000 homes affordable.

Piper said she was pleased the investment will provide livable space for working families.