Senator Murray Announces Major Federal Investments in Helping Southwest Washington Families Afford Homes

Clark County, Thurston County, and city of Olympia to receive more than $4.25 million combined in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program awards

These awards come from Community Development Block (CDBG) Grants and the HOME program, which Senator Murray successfully fought to protect

Senator Murray: “These federal investments play a critical role in combatting homelessness and ensuring people in need, in Washington state and across our country, have access to stable, affordable housing”

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced more than $4.25 million in housing awards for Thurston and Clark County as well as the city of Olympia. The funding comes from two Department of Housing and Urban Development grant programs—the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the HOME program—which fund the acquisition and construction of secure, affordable housing for people and families in need. The awards include nearly $2 million each for Clark and Thurston County and more than $350,000 for the city of Olympia.

“These federal investments play a critical role in combatting homelessness and ensuring people in need, in Washington state and across our country, have access to stable, affordable housing,” Senator Murray said. “That’s why I’ll continue fighting to defend vital housing programs like HOME and CDBG, and am glad to see these awards flow to Southwest Washington to help make sure no family is without a safe and secure home.”

See a full breakdown of federal awards going to Washington state below.

As a senior member of the Senate subcommittee responsible for housing appropriations, Senator Murray has been instrumental in continuing the CDBG and HOME programs, fighting not only to save the HOME program from near elimination, but successfully working to increase its funding in a 2015 spending bill and protect that funding from attacks from the Trump Administration in spending bills over the past two years. The funding from these grant programs is distributed on a formula basis.