PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to increase affordable housing supply in Providence, provide new homes for Rhode Islanders experiencing homelessness, and deepen investment in the capital city’s West End, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today touted $7,011,695 in competitive federal funding for the Women’s Development Corporation (WDC) to advance a key affordable housing construction and preservation development.

The $7 million in federal funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care Builds (CoC Builds) funding opportunity. The CoC Builds program provides funding to help address and reduce the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness by adding new units of permanent supportive housing through new construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation under the CoC Program.

The Women’s Development Corporation plans to utilize the funding to build 14 new homes for individuals escaping domestic violence. These units will be constructed in five new buildings and will be part of a larger development to preserve 47 family units across 19 historic buildings. This critical affordable housing development will provide high quality homes for 61 families with incomes ranging from below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI) to no more than 60% AMI, and 14 of these homes will be set aside for families experiencing homelessness. WDC will work with the Rhode Island Continuum of Care (CoC) and Sojourner House to implement the project.

“This funding for the Women’s Development Corporation will advance a critical plan to help vulnerable Rhode Islanders access safe housing and will spur wider community revitalization and economic development across the West End,” said Senator Reed, who earlier this year delivered $17.3 million in federal CoC grants for Rhode Island homeless assistance programs across the state. “We must continue our work to ensure that Rhode Islanders who are experiencing homelessness have access to robust supports, comprehensive services, and roofs over their heads.”

“We are honored to receive this highly competitive award. Not only is it the first of its kind, but the timing could not be better. In the midst of an unprecedented housing crisis, finding an affordable place to call home has never been more challenging. While these challenges are experienced at virtually all income levels, the effects are felt most acutely by our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Charlie Thomas-Davison, WDC’s director of real estate development. “With the generous support of this program, 14 families will exit homelessness and be provided the housing stability they so desperately need. We would like to thank our partners at the federal, state, and local levels of their invaluable support. Without their help, this would not have been possible. It was truly a team effort.”

Since 1979, WDC has developed and operated quality affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families, seniors, and those with special housing needs across the State of Rhode Island. In the early 1990s, WDC made significant investments in Providence’s West End, through its development of the Historic West End II Apartments and West End Preservation Apartments.

Senator Reed has been a strong supporter of housing assistance and homelessness prevention initiatives while continually leading efforts in the Senate to increase funding to address the root causes of homelessness. Recently, Reed helped pass the ROAD to Housing Act out of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee which included legislation he co-leads that would streamline homeless assistance programs, increase funding flexibility, and improve coordination between housing and health services.

Reed also authored the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, which President Obama signed into law to streamline homeless assistance grant programs and increase homelessness prevention resources, empowering communities to more efficiently and strategically provide housing and services to this vulnerable population.

People in need of shelter may call the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness CES help line: (401) 277-4316.