Whitehouse & Reed Deliver $3 Million to Upgrade Pawtucket Housing Authority High-Rise Elevators

Pawtucket, RI - When high-rise elevators go down or are chronically inoperable in public housing, it makes life difficult for upper floor apartment residents with mobility issues, as well as those carrying small children or heavy groceries up multiple flights of stairs.

Today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien and residents and leadership of the Pawtucket Housing Authority (PHA) at Fogarty Manor to celebrate over $3 million in federal investments that are helping to repair and upgrade elevator infrastructure at PHA's Kennedy Manor, a 9-story housing complex on Broad Street, and Fogarty Manor, a 15-story high rise on Roosevelt Avenue.

In an effort to support housing affordability and ensure the Pawtucket Housing Authority's residents living in rent-restricted high-rise housing complexes have safe, reliable elevator access, Senators Whitehouse and Reed helped to secure federal funding to upgrade and modernize elevator infrastructure at PHA's Kennedy Manor and Fogarty Manor.

"We come with good news for the residents of Kennedy Manor and Fogarty Manor, who have dealt with elevator breakdowns for too long," said Whitehouse. "With upgraded elevators, hundreds of affordable apartments in Pawtucket will be able to remain in use."

"This federal funding will provide a much needed lift to hundreds of residents and ensure reliable elevator service. The safety and security of residents is paramount. They have endured and persevered when elevators were down and we want to ensure a lasting fix. I commend Mayor Grebien and the dedicated team at the Pawtucket Housing Authority for their tireless efforts to restore service and modernize the building. Elevator breakdowns in a high-rise can be beyond frustrating - especially to those on upper floors and those with limited mobility. The much-needed repairs and upgrades funded by these significant federal investments are overdue. I'm pleased to help deliver over $3 million to help the Pawtucket Housing Authority prioritize safety, modernize essential infrastructure, and prevent elevator outages," said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees the federal U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The federal funding for the Fogarty and Kennedy Manor Elevator Modernization project includes a $2,045,426 emergency federal grant administered by HUD. Whitehouse and Reed advocated to make HUD Capital Fund Emergency and Disaster Grant Program funds available, which help public housing authorities address pressing safety issues for residents.

The $2 million emergency grant combines with a $1 million federal earmark that Senators Whitehouse and Reed previously secured in fiscal year 2024 for Pawtucket Housing Authority, providing over $3 million in federal funds that PHA will use to upgrade four elevators between the two towers to enhance safety and accessibility for residents and protect the long-term operation of existing affordable housing.

"Today is about a significant investment in Pawtucket and, most importantly, in the residents who call Fogarty Manor and Kennedy Manor home," said Mayor Donald R. Grebien, City of Pawtucket. "I want to thank Senators Reed and Whitehouse for recognizing the urgency of these improvements and for their continued commitment to our city. Through strong local, state, and federal partnership, we secured more than $3 million to modernize all four elevators. This investment will improve accessibility, strengthen our public housing infrastructure, and give residents greater peace of mind as they live safely and independently in their homes."

"Today is not just about modernizing elevators. It's about the grandmother who can make it to her medical appointments with confidence. It's about the resident who can visit friends in the community room. It's about the veteran who can leave his apartment without wondering whether he will be able to get back home. It's about preserving independence, dignity, and quality of life for every resident we are privileged to serve," said Justin Barros, Executive Director of the Pawtucket Housing Authority. "I want to offer a special thanks to Senators Reed and Whitehouse for their championship of affordable housing and public housing residents across Rhode Island and to Mayor Grebien for this leadership, partnership, and dedication to the city of Pawtucket and the Housing Authority."

Built in 1969, John E. Fogarty Manor provides 248 homes and services for residents age 62 and up. John F. Kennedy Manor is a nine-story high-rise with 171 homes that was constructed in 1964.

Kennedy Manor is one of Pawtucket's only public high-rise housing serving households whose eligibility is restricted to seniors and persons with disabilities. Each building has two elevators that are currently classified as functionally inoperable for reliable service due to repeated failures and obsolete parts. As a result, these ongoing issues present a significant health and safety risk.

Fixing and modernizing these elevators will help maintain over 400 units of existing affordable housing in Rhode Island.

PHA manages 788 units of public housing at four complexes for senior citizens and people with disabilities: Kennedy Manor, Fogarty Manor, Burns Manor and St. Germain Manor, and one family housing complex, Galego Court.