Alameda Co. lands $13 million in housing grants

Six cities in Alameda County will receive millions of dollars in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a U.S. representative’s office said.

A total of $12.8 million will be split among the cities of Oakland, Alameda, San Leandro, Albany, Emeryville and Piedmont, the office of Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, said.

Oakland will receive nearly $7 million under HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program while Albany, Emeryville and Piedmont will receive nearly $200,000.

The money will go toward jurisdictional and homeowner rehabilitation projects, according to Lee’s office.

Lee’s district will also receive $25,000 for fair housing counseling and tenant and landlord services in the cities receiving the grants.

Alameda and San Leandro will receive about $325,000 for projects that finance the construction of new affordable housing under HUD’s HOME Consortium program.

Oakland will receive another $2.1 million under the same program to address its housing crisis and $2.5 million to provide housing assistance to low-income individuals living with AIDS.

Lee’s office said two other grants totaling $709,106 will be used for rapid housing programs in Alameda, San Leandro and Oakland.