Columbia Housing Authority won’t receive $30 Million HUD grant to fix ABC apartments, Mayor says

COLUMBIA,SC (WOLO)- Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin announced Saturday afternoon that Columbia Housing Authority will not receive a $30 Million grant they applied for that would help redevelop Allen Benedict Court which had a deadly gas leak that shutdown the apartment complex last month.

“We must redouble our efforts as a community to redevelop Allen Benedict Court & thousands more units of affordable & workforce housing across the Midlands,” Benjamin said.

According to the Housing and Urban development (HUD) website, finalists were determined based upon information submitted to HUD by the application deadline of September 17, 2018, which was prior to the deaths of two residents and evacuation of more than 400 residents.

Three lawsuits have been filed against Columbia Housing authority since the deaths and gas leaks were discovered.