Published: 4/6/2021 11:35:21 AM
NORTHAMPTON — The public can weigh in Thursday night on how the city should spend its annual allotment of Community Development Block Grant money.
The city is set to receive nearly $700,000 in CDBG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in July and will hold a virtual public hearing at 5:30 p.m. to discuss spending proposals. The pool of money must benefit low- to moderate-income residents or help eliminate slums and blight, according to the city’s draft action plan.
The proposals include $110,000 for a playground at Hampshire Heights, $175,000 for wheelchair curb cuts in Florence, $55,000 for improvements to Housing Authority properties, and $80,000 for affordable housing infrastructure.
The proposals also include $41,000 for a planned resilience hub, which aims to support residents who face chronic and acute stress, such as those who are homeless, and act as an emergency center if there is a disaster.
Taking into account unspent grant money from the prior year, the city has $876,905 in CDBG funds available to spend.
A complete copy of the spending proposals can be found on the meeting agenda posted to the city’s calendar online at northamptonma.gov.
The Office of Planning and Sustainability meeting can be accessed via Zoom at: https://zoom.us/j/9082926870. Information about how to phone in to the meeting can be found on the meeting agenda.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com.