Benton Harbor City Commissioners will be asked next week to approve the transfer of land owned by the city to the Benton Harbor Housing Commission so that the Harbor Towers apartment complex can qualify for federal improvement funds.

Speaking to the Economic Development and Parks and Recreation Committee last week, City Manager Alex Little said the Housing Commission is seeking funds through HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program, or RAD. The problem is that the city owns the property on which Harbor Towers sits.

“Harbor Towers, which is owned by the Housing Commission and HUD, is on land that’s owned by the city,” Little said. “In order to effectuate this RAD they’re trying to do, they’ve got to have title to the land.”

Little said the Housing Commission is also seeking funds for the Buss Public Housing Complex, although a land conveyance is only being sought for Harbor Towers.

“The net result is we’ll get the use of the HUD dollars that you’ve been hearing about — I believe it was some 34 million or something like that for Harbor Towers, and about another 27 million for Bus projects — but this is how that process is going to work.”

Committee Chair Duane Seats said he saw no problem with the land transfer to make these renovations possible. Little said they would be intended to improve the living quarters for residents at both locations.

The committee advanced the proposal to the full city commission, recommending the Harbor Towers land be conveyed to the Housing Commission for $1.