Madison stands to benefit soon from about $4 million in federal stimulus money through several city housing programs.

The programs will provide residents a range of services to reduce the impact of foreclosure and a diminished economy.

"One thing that is clear is that the stimulus ... will really have a dollar impact on the city of Madison," said Bill Clingan, Madison’s community development director.

Those services range from adding jobs to weatherizing homes and helping tenants return to foreclosed homes under the Community Development Block Grant, Neighborhood Stabilization and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant programs.

Clingan said he expects funding to come in August or September and to accept applications for various projects by the fall, with the intention of spending all stimulus money by December 2010.

The city will receive just more than $1 million through Neighborhood Stabilization to renovate foreclosed homes and help low-income families reoccupy them, Clingan said. An additional $817,000 from the Department of Housing and Urban Development would help Madison’s unemployed renters pay rent.

Madison is receiving just more than $500,000 beyond its annual $1.5 million to $1.9 million CDBG allocation from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. About $230,000 of that would hire a position that Mayor Dave Cieslewicz described as an "ombudsman" to advise homeowners and prevent more foreclosures, help place those facing eviction with jobs and provide grants to those with ideas for creating new jobs. About $300,000 would renovate foreclosed homes in preparation for weatherization, Clingan said.

Nearly $2.4 million from the Department of Energy’s EECB grant would improve energy efficiency of buildings: $1 million for municipal, $650,000 for businesses and $250,000 for residential. The remaining $484,600 will hire under- and unemployed residents for weatherization crews in their neighborhoods, Clingan said.

Residential energy efficiency was limited to $250,000, because Clingan said it would supplement Project Home’s own stimulus allocation.

Project Home, a federally funded weatherization agency, is expecting an additional $5 million to $6 million from the Department of Energy, doubling its budget to expand its reach from 800 to 1,400 homes a year, said Susan Buzby, Project Home outreach specialist. Buzby said they also expect $1 million to hire 35 employees and add 15 service trucks.

Project Home serves Dane and Green counties and Buzby said they will also now be able to weatherize homes with an income level up to $23,000.