Section 3 Program Creating Jobs in Detroit

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity, John Trasviña; and Midwest Regional Administrator Antonio Riley share in the Detroit News how HUD is helping Detroit:

Expanding opportunities for jobs and housing are two of the Obama administration's highest priorities in Michigan and across the nation.

At HUD, we are bringing new ideas and strongly enforcing the “Section 3” federal program; which is specifically designed to create job opportunities for low-income individuals and public housing residents and contracts for the companies that hire them.

In 2009, HUD invested $17.2 billion in Section 3-covered funding into local communities. These investments helped to create new neighborhood developments, modernize roads and infrastructure and rehabilitate and revive our communities. Beyond the bricks and mortar, they produced 34,230 jobs in 2009 and put 18,154 low-income individuals and their families on the road to self-sufficiency.

But we are doing more.

HUD has designated Detroit to be one of five pilot cities around the country to be the site of a Section 3 Business Registry. Through this registry, businesses that hire low-income individuals or are composed of low-income individuals will be able to have better access to information about contracting opportunities from cities, housing authorities and other government agencies. Local and state agencies receiving HUD funds are required, to the maximum extent feasible, to ensure that jobs and contracts reach public housing residents and low-income workers. The Business Registry will also make it easy for workers to find out about Section 3 companies that are hiring.

For more information about the Section 3 program, visit www.hud.gov/sec3biz.