Two federal grants will grow local economy, create more job opportunities, support home modification projects to improve quality of life for seniors

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) welcomed two federal grants totaling $2,550,000 for Santa Fe County from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The Commerce Department is awarding $1,300,000 to the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District for building renovations to support economic development in northern New Mexico. This grant funds the purchase and renovation of a building in downtown Santa Fe to be used as the headquarters for North Central New Mexico Economic Development District. The renovations will include parking lot rehabilitations, building renovations, building-code compliance, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility. Once completed, the improvements will lead to more job creation, private investment, and business development across seven counties in north-central New Mexico.

HUD is awarding $1,250,000 to the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District to assist nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and public housing authorities with repairing and renovating the homes of low-income seniors. The goal of the home modification program is to enable low-income elderly persons to remain in their homes through low-cost, low barrier, high impact home modifications to reduce older adults' risk of falling, improve general safety, increase accessibility, and improve their functional abilities in their home. This will enable older adults to remain in their homes, rather than move to nursing homes or other assisted care facilities.

"I'm pleased to welcome $2.6 million to support working families, grow our economy, improve the quality of life of our seniors, and create new career opportunities that New Mexicans can pursue in their home communities," said Heinrich."By funding the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District's new headquarters and investing in their work to repair and renovate the homes of low-income seniors, these federal dollars are helping New Mexicans build a more stable foundation for their day-to-day and future."

"I'm proud to welcome this important investment from the Biden Administration to establish a new office to support economic development in North Central New Mexico. This investment will help boost economic opportunities and create more jobs for this local community for years to come," said Luján. "I also welcome this federal funding to help seniors in need so they can age with dignity in their own homes. This funding will pay for home safety modifications that would otherwise be too expensive and drive seniors to leave the homes they love."

"I am happy the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is committed to fixing the country-wide housing shortage by building more affordable housing-including housing for the 11.2 million seniors who struggle to cover home costs," said Leger Fernández. "In addition to funding the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District's new headquarters, the Biden-Harris Administration is also investing $1.25 million to build more affordable housing for our seniors in New Mexico. I was proud to vote for this funding because we have a duty to take care of those who took care of us."

For more information on the $1.3 million federal grant from the Commerce Department, click here.

For more information on the $1.25 million federal grant from HUD, click here.

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