A Capital Needs study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says nearly $26 billion is needed for large scale repairs for the nation’s 1.2 million public housing units.  The homes need to be updated in terms of accessibility for disabled residents, plumbing and electrical efficiency, roof replacements and lead abatement.  Despite several government programs to address severely distressed public housing, thousands of units are destroyed annually due to lack of funding that could improve basic living conditions for 2.1 million citizens.  “The new capital needs estimate far exceeds our annual budget for these repairs and illustrates why America needs a long-term strategy to address the loss of thousands of public housing units annually,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.