JAMESTOWN, RI – Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman David Cicilline announced that the Jamestown Housing Authority is getting $1,488,677 in federal funding to make emergency heating and electrical renovations for residents of Pemberton Apartments in Jamestown.
Reed, Whitehouse, and Cicilline advocated for the emergency federal grant, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The federal funds will help speed up repairs and ensure that the public housing residents of Pemberton Apartments, the majority of whom are seniors on fixed incomes, are not forced out of their homes this winter.
The JHA-managed Pemberton Apartments are serviced by a 54-year-old central heating system that has exceeded its useful life such that additional costly repairs will not be sufficient to keep it functioning.
“When I heard about the situation facing Pemberton residents, I went right to work. These much-needed heating upgrades are long overdue and I’m pleased to help deliver $1.5 million for this major renovation. The current heating system is dilapidated and inefficient. The residents of Pemberton Apartments deserve better. This federal funding will ensure the entire complex has improved heat and hot water service,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees HUD. Reed strongly advocated to make HUD Emergency Capital Reserve, Emergency/Disaster Funds available through the Public Housing Capital Fund Program.
“The Jamestown Housing Authority will be able to put this federal funding to immediate use replacing the faulty heating system at Pemberton Apartments,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Every Rhode Islander deserves a warm, safe place to live, and this fix was overdue.”
“No Rhode Islander should be worrying if their home will keep them safe this winter and we owe it to our seniors to make sure their homes are safe and warm. These urgently-needed funds will allow for critical heating and electrical renovations, helping to keep low-income seniors safely in their homes and avoid a potentially disastrous system failure that would have displaced residents,” said Congressman Cicilline. “I was proud to advocate to HUD along with my Senate colleagues for this emergency federal funding for Pemberton Apartments ahead of the winter season.”
Built in 1968, Pemberton Apartments is comprised of seven buildings — six two story residential buildings and one two story residential/community room/office/mechanical building — that is home to 47 public housing units for seniors and income-eligible residents.
Currently, the boiler works only in emergency back-up mode, requires daily manual resets, and provides residents with inadequate or excessive heat as well as loud noise from the system in their homes.
The funding was awarded through HUD’s Emergency Capital Reserve, Emergency/Disaster Funds set-aside through the Public Housing Capital Fund Program. The funds may be used to correct emergency conditions that pose an immediate and imminent threat to the health and safety of public housing residents.
Chip Unruh (Reed), 202-224-4642
Meaghan McCabe (Whitehouse), 401-453-5294
Jennifer Bell (Cicilline), (202) 365-0827
