ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, SportsH.U.D. sending millions to help Tuscaloosa rebuild

   Tuscaloosa will soon get millions to help fill a Tuscaloosa created crunch in affordable housing.  

    61% of homes wiped out by the April 27th tornado were affordable rentals.  Mayor Walt Maddox says many of those people are living in high-priced accomodations with FEMA assistance but that will end this year.  "October 12, 2012 F.E.M.A. benefits end for many and when those benefits end they will not be able to afford the rents they're paying now," believes Maddox.

    That's why he and city leaders gladly accepted more than $16 million dollars in grants from H.U.D. on Tuesday morning.

    The money can be used to helped the city rebuild.   While the city can't build houses itself, it can use the funds to work with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or Samaritan's Purse on affordable housing projects.

     "Take these dollars and invest in infrastructure where we had damage and also look at matching federal grants because we can take these dollars and apply them as a local match."

    Mayor Maddox says by the Spring (March) he'll make a recommendation to city council on exactly how to spend the funds.