Story on HUD Funding Leads to Misperception

I am writing in response to what could lead to public misperception regarding an article in the Her-ald’s July 13, 2011 edition titled “HUD Gives $400,000 for Housing.”
That article referred to capital fund awards from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Devel-opment [HUD] to various county housing authorities. Public housing authorities are funded by HUD through operating subsidies and through capital. funding.
The HUD appropriation referred to in the article of $193,726 to, the Wildwood Housing Authority is not a windfall. It represents an annual capital funding based on a HUD formula earmarked solely for repair, renovation, and modernization. This year’s capital funding for Wildwood is 16.9 percent less than last year’s. It only scratches the surface to address the deferred maintenance and improvements necessary to keep Wildwood’s Housing Authority’s 77-family units and 100 senior and disabled units economically sustainable as affordable and decent housing.
That reality, coupled by the funding of Wildwood’s 2011 operating subsidy at 92 percent of the 2010 subsidy, calls for prudent management strategy to maintain firm financial footing and yet continue to improve public housing.
R. J. CICCOZZI
Wildwood
(ED. NOTE: Ciccozzi is Executive Director of the Wildwood Housing Authority.)