SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today Mayor Gavin Newsom visited Potrero Terrace and Annex to inspect the start of construction on $17.9 million in repair work at over a dozen San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) properties. $17.9 million was awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide residential capital improvements to distressed public housing over the next two years. The stimulus funds represent a 48% increase over the annual amount provided to SFHA from HUD for capital improvements.

“For far too long, public housing in the United States has been neglected and an after-thought in Washington,” said Mayor Newsom. “I applaud President Obama for allocating these funds to the San Francisco Housing Authority and creating jobs in the process.”

The stimulus funding will improve nearly 1,800 SFHA homes. Specifically, the funding will enable the SFHA to fix 200 currently vacant apartments so that they can provide housing to families on the SFHA wait list. In addition, the funds will provide upgrades to fire alarm systems for over 300 apartments and weatherize and repaint another 1231 apartments. This work represents the equivalent of 178 new full-time jobs for one-year.

“The San Francisco Housing Authority praises the work of President Obama and Congress to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” said SFHA Executive Director Henry Alvarez, III. “The $17.9 million that SFHA will receive through this stimulus package shows a significant commitment by the Federal Government to rectify the deterioration of public housing that has been caused by nearly a decade of neglect.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding will be allocated throughout San Francisco Housing Authority sites through four primary capital improvement areas; Energy Conservation, Health and Safety, Vacant Unit Repairs, and Exterior Paint and Site Improvements. ‘Shovel Ready’ projects have been identified and work will begin within the next ten days. Additionally, the $1.2 million Neighborhood Initiative grant will support HOPE SF by assisting the launch of the physical revitalization of Hunters Point.

Over the coming weeks, SFHA will partner with San Francisco’s Mayor’s Office of Housing to submit an application and begin competing for the remaining $1 billion worth of stimulus funding that will be provided to public housing redevelopment projects that leverage private financing.