Florida Given $50 Million To Improve Public Housing

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MIAMI (AP) -- Federal officials are giving Florida nearly $50 million to improve public housing across the state.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials said Friday the funds will help complete large-scale improvements like replacing roofs and making energy-efficient upgrades on old plumbing and electrical systems to modernize housing for families and seniors.

The federal government has invested billions in developing and maintaining public housing but HUD says there's been a net loss of over 135,000 public housing units since fiscal year 2000, representing an average loss of approximately 9,000 units annually.

In 2011, HUD released a third-party independent study that estimated the capital needs in the public housing stock in the U.S. The study found the nation's 1.1 million public housing units are facing an estimated $25.6 billion in large-scale repairs.