City of New Bedford to Celebrate National Community Development Week

The City of New Bedford will celebrate the kickoff of National Community Development Week on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 11am at the New Bedford Art Museum, 608 Pleasant Street, New Bedford, MA 02740.

The Mayor will present a proclamation declaring the first week of April as CDBG Week in New Bedford. The city’s centerpiece event at the kickoff event will be a special presentation on the 20th Anniversary of the Homeless Service Providers Network (HSPN). The presentation will include highlights of the HSPN’s accomplishments throughout the last 20 years, and testimony from some of the key figures that helped develop and shape the HSPN.

In addition, the kickoff event will also include Annual Sister Rose Award ceremony to acknowledge and honor an outstanding individual for their dedication and compassion with the homeless population in New Bedford. Finally, the city will acknowledge the tremendous work of New Bedford non-profits by showcasing the CDBG funded New Bedford Whaling Museum Apprenticeship program.

The following is a list of events coordinated by the New Bedford Office of Housing and Community Development to observe National Community Development Week locally.

Monday, April 6, 2015 – First Time Home Buyer Seminar: SE MA Association of Realtors Office 5pm – 9pm
The Office of Housing and Community Development will offer the first training seminar and individual instruction to potential first time homebuyers.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015 – CDBG Main Event: New Bedford Art Museum 11am – 1pm
Mayor Jon Mitchell will issue a proclamation and kickoff New Bedford CDBG Week.

The program will include a special presentation on the 20th Anniversary of the Homeless Service Providers Network and followed by the Annual Sister Rose Award for achievement. Finally, the city will feature the CDBG funded Whaling Museum Apprenticeship program.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015 – First Time Home Buyer Seminar: SE MA Association of Realtors Office 5pm – 9pm
The Office of Housing and Community Development will be offering the second training seminar and individual instruction to potential first time homebuyers.

Over the past 41 years, New Bedford is one of 1,200 state and local governments to receive and benefit from CDBG funds. Through the CDBG program, New Bedford has received over $140 million in funding that provided critical financial resources to our downtown and neighborhoods. Nationally, based on the data that grantees have reported to HUD over the past ten years (FY05-FY14), the CDBG program has created/retained 353,237 jobs during this time period. For every $1.00 of CDBG investment, another $4.07 in private and public dollars is leveraged. Since the start of the program in 1974, CDBG has invested over $144 billion in local economies.

For additional information on the CDBG Program please contact Patrick J. Sullivan, Planning, Housing and Community Development Director at (508) 979-1500.