City Housing Authority awarded $250K grant LONG BRANCH - The city Housing Authority was awarded a $250,000 grant last week that will fund programs to support housing selfsufficiency. The Long Branch Housing Authority (LBHA) received the Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Family and Homeownership Program grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development office. The funding will enable the authority to create, deliver and coordinate programs that facilitate the capacity of the residents to achieve economic and/or housing self-sufficiency. "This grant award could not be more timely given the subprime lending 'mess' that all too many low- to moderate-income home purchasers find themselves in," said LBHA Executive Director Tyrone Garrett. Garret said a "special thanks" was due to U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Frank R. Lautenberg, Congressman Frank Pallone and Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider for their "tremendous support and untiring efforts" on behalf of the authority. ROSS will create programs that will help public housing residents achieve self-sufficiency by means of homeownership training, counseling and other supportive services. It also establishes a Pride in Ownership and Community and Supportive Service Program to promote independence and support household stability. Over the past three years, the LBHA has also been working on transforming the housing authority neighborhoods. The authority has created and implemented a redevelopment plan that will produce 291 units of new town homes, a community center and a new administration and community building. The community center will serve the residents of the housing authority, as well as all the residents in the city. The LBHA sent letters to all the residents of the LBHA asking that they help in the effort to maintain a positive appearance by not littering, picking up debris on the ground and demand all who visit the area to respect it.