Natick Legislators Announce Stimulus Dollars for Natick Housing Authority

BOSTON – Representative David Linsky (D-Natick), Representative Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley), Senator Karen Spilka (D-Ashland), and Senator Scott Brown (R-Wrentham) announced today that the Natick Housing Authority has been awarded technical assistance capital bond funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The funds, allocated through the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), come as part of the $25 million of Weatherization Assistance Program funding dedicated for state-assisted public housing.

The funds will be used to replace the heating system at the Authority’s 200-1 family housing development. The replacement of this antiquated heating system will result in cost-effective energy savings that will reduce heating costs for tenants, who directly pay for their heating fuel bills. Based on a preliminary cost estimate for the project design, the amount of the funding award is $27,500. The DHCD has been working with local housing authorities to prioritize projects and allocate capital funding established in the Housing Bond Bill passed in 2008. The DHCD notes that the award for this project will not count against the Natick Housing Authority’s formula funding allocation, as would be the case with emergency project awards.

Representative Linsky, House Chairman of the Federal Stimulus Oversight Committee, stated that he was “extremely pleased that the Natick Housing Authority will be getting this award through the stimulus package. With fuel prices expected to be high again this winter, these heating system improvements will give much-needed relief to tenants.”

“These weatherization funds will help Natick keep costs down and will also help to protect the environment,” stated Senator Karen Spilka. “It’s wonderful that we were able to work together to secure this valuable stimulus funding for the MetroWest.”

“These are essential upgrades for the public housing units in Natick,” said Senator Brown. “The replacement of the heating system will enable the Housing Authority to maintain this vital necessity in addition to providing efficient and less costly heating.”