Affordable Housing Commission of St. Louis Awards $5 Million In Grants and Loans

The Affordable Housing Commission of the City of St. Louis recently awarded grants and loans totaling $5.2 million to nonprofit organizations and local developers of affordable housing.

Funding for the awards is generated by the City’s Use Tax. By ordinance, all Trust Fund grants and loans are designated to assist people and families whose incomes are at or below 80 percent of the area’s median income.

Additionally, at least 40 percent of the funds awarded must assist individuals or families with incomes at or below 20 percent of the area’s median income. Of the total $5.2 million awarded, the Affordable Housing Commission conditionally approved $1.6 million to provide partial funding for three housing development projects.

In total, Affordable Housing Trust Fund dollars will help to create 131 new rental units and 34 for-sale homes for families this year alone. Of this total, 22 homes will be directly subsidized for lowand moderate-income families by Affordable Housing Trust Fund dollars.

“The funds we are investing help get other projects off the ground,” said April Ford Griffin, executive director of the Affordable Housing Commission.

“Those dollars will help support $103 million worth of programs and services in 2019.” The Affordable Housing Commission has also approved more than 45 grants to nonprofit agencies, many of which are homelessness service providers.

Those grants are in addition to the Commission’s continued funding of Biddle Housing Opportunity Center, a 24-hour facility, which offers emergency shelter services, food service, safety, appropriate long-term housing solutions and other assistance for up to 101 homeless men.

Funding for the Commission also supports education initiatives, mortgage assistance, home repair, housing development, transitional housing and homelessness prevention. Since 2003, the Commission has invested more than $29.3 million throughout the City, a total which has helped create 1,659 affordable rental units and 205 affordable single-family homes.

The Commission has further invested nearly $70 million in housing services. Contact the Affordable Housing Commission at (314) 657-3880 for more information