The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so that our country can thrive in the 21st century.

With its stimulus allocation, the King County Housing Authority is moving swiftly and strategically to tackle a backlog of deferred capital repairs and make energy efficiency improvements not only to our own Public Housing stock but also to private market, low-income homes and apartments. A national study has estimated that every dollar invested in public housing repairs generates $2.12 in local economic activity.*

This section of the Web site is designed to show you how the Housing Authority is using those stimulus dollars to:

• Help give a much-needed boost to the local economy by creating and saving jobs and decreasing energy bills for low-income residents;
• Reduce the region's greenhouse gas emissions;
• Decrease the long-term cost to taxpayers of operating affordable housing.
  
  
  

Public Housing
KCHA owns and operates about 2,500 units of Public Housing for which building repairs and system replacements have been significantly underfunded for more than a decade. Public Housing is an integral part of our region's infrastructure, providing a critical safety net for about 5,700 low-income residents. These include seniors on fixed incomes, individuals with disabilities, low-wage workers, and families with children.

We have been allotted about $23.5 million in stimulus funds to help us address deferred repairs to this essential resource. This investment will reap significant benefits. The capital projects funded with stimulus dollars will:

• Generate living-wage jobs and increase our purchase of related goods and materials;
• Preserve and enhance this affordable housing, a regional public asset that would cost $500 million to replace;
• Greatly increase energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower the cost of operating Public Housing over the long term.
  
  
  
  

Weatherization
Our Weatherization program — which provides
energy efficiency and indoor air quality improvements to housing owned or occupied by low-income
persons in King County — is helping the economy rebound while at the same time creating a greener region.

By investing at least $6 million in federal stimulus funding and partnering with local utility companies, KCHA's Weatherization program will:

• Help grow green jobs and industries;
• Pursue renewable energy projects such as installing solar panels;
• Produce lower energy costs for tenants and owners;
• Reduce the area's carbon footprint.
  
  
  

Useful Links
With these links, you can find out about KCHA's stimulus success stories and connect to the economic recovery package Web sites for the federal government and Washington state.

*Assessing the Economic Benefits of Public Housing, Econsult Corporation, 2007