New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
New Bedford Residents Invited to Attend Public Meetings on U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Federal Funding for Fiscal Year 2016
The City of New Bedford Department of Planning, Housing & Community Development will hold two public meetings to discuss the best use of federal funding to improve the quality of life for New Bedford residents. The public meetings will be held:
·Tuesday, January 12th at 6:00pm at Carney Academy Elementary School, 247 Elm Street, and;
·Wednesday, January 13th at 6:00pm at the City’s Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), 608 Pleasant Street (2nd floor conference room)
These public meetings are hosted by the City and designed to gather critical input from New Bedford residents. The public input will assist the City in formulating a strategic plan for the utilization of federal funding to address needs and priorities in the areas of housing, public facilities, public infrastructure, parks and playgrounds, community services, homelessness resources, and economic development. Input from the community is integral in shaping the priorities of these federal programs.
The City of New Bedford anticipates receiving approximately $2.3 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), $875,000 in HOME Investment Partnership Program, and $230,000 in Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding to serve low-and-moderate-income residents and neighborhoods in Fiscal Year 2016 which runs from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
Mayor Jon Mitchell said, “I encourage New Bedford residents to attend the upcoming public meetings and share their thoughts as to how the City may best allocate its federal funding.”
The public meetings will include presentations by the City staff, an assessment of community needs and priorities, and a review the City’s recent Housing and Community Development accomplishments.
The meetings are an excellent opportunity for citizens to voice their opinions about how the City can best use its federal money to improve the quality of life in New Bedford and to suggest specific additions or improvements to facilities and services in its neighborhoods.
The Department of Planning, Housing and Community Development will also host a workshop on Friday, January 15th at morning at 9:00 AM to assist with the request for proposals process and provide technical assistance. The workshop will be held at the Department of Planning, Housing and Community Development Offices, 608 Pleasant Street, 2nd floor conference room.
