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MAYOR CARLISLE THANKS ALL WHO HELPED WIN $2.3 MILLION RAIL GRANT   (Wed., Oct. 20, 2010)—Mayor Peter Carlisle today expressed his appreciation to everyone who helped Honolulu secure a $2,383,424 federal grant to implement a strategy for creating affordable housing along the City's rail transit line.               "This is wonderful news for our community, and it reflects the hard work and cooperation of many people," Carlisle said. "We are committed to making sure rail transit and Transit Oriented Development projects are done right, and this grant will be a big help."               The Sustainable Community Challenge Planning Grant is being provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Honolulu received the fifth largest grant amount among the 44 grant recipients. The grants are provided to help communities address local challenges to integrating transportation and housing.   Carlisle thanked HUD, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye and the other members of Hawaii's congressional delegation who have strongly supported the rail project.               The mayor also expressed his appreciation to former Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the staff of the City departments of Planning and Permitting, Transportation Services, and Community Services for helping prepare the grant application; and to community partners who assisted and/or wrote letters of support, including EAH Housing, Castle and Cooke, Pier Management Hawaii, Kamehameha Schools, Bank of Hawaii, the Trust for Public Lands, the local HUD office, and the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. The Federal Transit Administration expects to provide at least $1.55 billion for the rail project, and President Barack Obama's 2011 federal budget includes $55 million for the project. -30-   Media contact: Louise Kim McCoy, Mayor's Office, 768-7798.