Federal stimulus aid to help St. Paul Public Housing Agency

$10M will go toward makeover of McDonough Homes complex

By Jason Hoppin
jhoppin@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 05/28/2009 11:27:53 PM CDT

One of St. Paul's oldest public housing projects will get a $10 million infusion of federal stimulus dollars, the St. Paul Public Housing Agency announced Thursday.

The money will go toward revamping 120 row houses at McDonough Homes, west of Interstate 35E in the city's North End. The funds will help complete a $35 million overhaul of the 580 units at McDonough, which opened in 1952.

"It really is a total makeover," said Al Hester, housing policy director for the Public Housing Agency.

McDonough houses a diverse population of low-income residents, but Asians make up the largest minority group by far, including a sizable Hmong population.

Improvements include everything from new wiring to bathroom fixtures as well as making the grounds more community-oriented. The contract was awarded to Frerichs Construction Co. and is part of $3 billion distributed to public housing agencies across the country through the $787 billion federal stimulus package.

"We think we're one of the first housing agencies in the country to get the money under contract," Hester said.

Another $1 billion in discretionary grants through the stimulus package is also available, and the St. Paul Public Housing Agency is hoping to secure some of those funds as well.

The agency will also spend $591,000 for new sprinklers and fire alarms at the Iowa Hi-Rise complex and $363,000 to help 42 Summit-University duplexes fit into the neighborhood better.

The St. Paul Public Housing Agency faces a crushing demand for its services, with 6,310 families waiting for a spot in public housing and 8,017 families waiting for Section 8 vouchers.

The Section 8 waiting list is now closed, but when it opened for three days in 2007, more than 11,000 households applied.

Jason Hoppin can be reached at 651-292-1892.