“I’m unemployed now and can’t find a job. There’s nothing open here,” says Millard Dofflemyer, who arrived at 8 a.m. and waited in line for four hours Thursday. “I hope I can be able to afford something and get a home, so my son will have a place to live.”

As the Obama Administration plans to implement their recently signed $787 billion rescue plan, one of the areas they will immediately be forced to confront is the ongoing housing crisis. The stimulus gives the Department of Housing and Urban Development $13.6 billion to address the needs of low-income families across the country. Experts say it’s a good start, but new HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan is facing an enormous task, as he attempts to overhaul an agency that is facing years of neglect and mounting debt.

Ninety of the town-houses will be public housing units with rent based on income, and 30 units will be available for residents with federal housing vouchers. Jorge Aguirre, project manager, said the project will take 15 months. There will be an onsite clubhouse with a management office, a media room for movie nights, a library, playground and computer room.