Poplar Bluff’s Twin Towers public housing residences will receive new roofs this year as a direct result of the $1.3 million capital fund grant announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The city’s grant is part of $37.7 million expected to be awarded to Missouri public housing authorities in 2021 to “build, renovate or modernize public housing communities,’’ according to a Feb. 23 HUD release. Approximately $1 million will also go to other area housing authorities.
Nationwide, more than $2.7 billion will be distributed among nearly 2,900 agencies to build and maintain low-income public housing units.
“This $1.3 million is going to help us get roofs on the towers and some of our residential buildings, but not nearly all of them,” said Darrin Taylor, executive director of the Poplar Bluff Housing Authority, which maintains 575 units currently housing 1,066 residents. The Twin Towers has 104 units providing housing to low-income seniors, he said.
“We’ll probably be looking at roofing as a component of our capital needs at least two or three years ahead of us.”
He also said, “we won’t even have access to these funds for at least a couple of months.”
Once the money’s received, the job will be publicly bid out to contractors. The repairs won’t likely begin until late 2021.
“We advertise projects of this scope and nature,’’ Taylor said.
The year’s award of $1,356,070 for 2021 reflects a decline of $53,385 from last year’s award totaling $1,409,655, according to figures provided by Taylor.
Among surrounding communities, the capital project sums the public housing authorities will receive in 2021 are:
• Campbell, $103,244
• Dexter, $275,689
• Greenville, $215,589
• Piedmont, $203,339
• Malden, $182,761
• Van Buren, $252,941
Dexter’s public housing authority will also spend this year’s grant replacing roofs, as well as storm sewer drains. The city owns and operates 136 units at two complexes.
“I get excited over any money they give us,’’ said Robin Hopkins, executive director of the Dexter Public Housing Authority. “I really wasn’t expecting this. Our funding has been up the last few years ... I was thrilled when I saw that.’’
“My computer system goes back to 2000,’’ said Hopkins, “I can review my awards since 2000. This is the most money I’ve received in 20 years.’’
This year’s award reflects a $6,139 increase over last year’s sum of $269,550.
According to Taylor, HUD has a “$26 billion backlog” in capital funding projects nationwide.
“There’s always a backlog of maintenance activities that the capital gains haven’t kept pace with,’’ said Taylor, who has worked in public housing for four decades and in Poplar Bluff since 2019. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done.”
Award amounts are determined by HUD based on “scores” resulting from a complex calculation of an authority’s management, financials, physical condition, occupancy rates and capital fund obligations.
“Scoring is like trying to decipher hieroglyphics,’’ Taylor joked.
Missouri public housing authorities are municipal corporations overseen by boards of directors.