RHA wins federal money to make 10 upgrades

REVERE – Ten of the Housing Authority’s most dilapidated properties will be fixed up using $800,000 in federal money awarded to the city Thursday.Two and three family residences owned by the Authority on Hichborn and Dana streets are in such bad shape that leaking roofs forced Authority workers to relocate residents last winter.Authority Director Linda Shaw has sought approval for two years to tear some of the properties down and sell the land to pay for renovations to other Authority properties.State and federal officials have yet to respond to her proposal and she did not indicate Thursday if she will continue pursuing it in the wake of the $800,000 allocation.She said the money, awarded to Revere as part of a $27 million federal disbursement to 55 Massachusetts communities, will “take care of the most crucial needs we have” on Hichborn and Dana streets.Revere is one of only three Boston area communities to receive the federal money. Chelsea and Everett will use their allocations to fix up housing, streets and sidewalks.Gov. Deval Patrick, during a telephone interview Thursday, called the federal spending “significant” because it will improve local housing. Patrick also said during the interview that a commitment of $70 million in federal money to help Massachusetts residents facing home foreclosure parallels $20 million in state spending to help cities and towns buy foreclosed properties before they deteriorate and add to neighborhood blight.He said teams of state housing experts are also meeting with lenders to discuss options for refinancing delinquent mortgages. State legislators are pushing proposals to initiate discussions between homeowners and lenders by prescribing a 90-day “cool down” period for homeowners facing foreclosure and lenders seeking to collect mortgage payments or foreclose.