Carson to return HUD money

Carson City is giving back $80,000 in Housing and Urban Development funding designed to help low-income homeowners rehabilitate homes after the city ran out of time to find a program and spend it.

The process is fairly routine, said Bill Cadwallader, Acting Director of the Western Nevada Development District HOME Consortium. The consortium disperses funding to local jurisdictions to fund low-income housing projects and programs.

"We'll get more money in the future," said Carson City Economic Development and Redevelopment Manager Joe McCarthy. "We didn't have a project ready to go. We weren't able to act on it and meet the federal requirements that this funding source has."

The city became a HUD entitlement community this year after reaching the 50,000 population mark. With the designation, the city now receives economic development funds, as well as getting funds through the HOME consortium.

Homeowner rehabilitation funds pay for programs to rehabilitate electrical, mechanical and wiring in older, low-income housing. It can also pay for new roofs or upgrades to doors and windows for weatherization.

The city was trying to form a partnership with Citizens for Affordable Housing or other entities and might look to do that in the future, McCarthy said.

The money will be reallocated to another jurisdiction, Cadwallader said.

"It's perfectly normal," Cadwallader said. "Because of regulations, timing, match money . . . a grantee will not be able to use all the funds that they were allocated."

Contact Jill Lufrano at jlufrano@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.