Left In Lowell

As advertised on the City’s web site last Thursday, the Division of Planning and Development held its Public Hearing to give Federal Grant applicants an opportunity to make a presentation to the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC):
CAC Member, Term Expiration

Raymond Boutin, 1/2009
Dennis Coffey, 1/2010
Franchesska Descoteaux, 1/2010
Joan Gendron, 1/2008
Rosemary Hawkes, 1/2008
Marc Horne, 1/2010
Eric Nelson, 1/2010
Ann Marie Page, 1/2010

The 5+ hour marathon took place at the Senior Center and was attended by hundreds of participants with approximately 70 organizations requesting funds for various programs:

LTC, Channel 10, was filming so I am sure they will be broadcast the public hearing at a later date.

For fiscal year July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008, the City anticipates receiving about $3.6 M in Federal Entitlement Funds through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), $2.4 M; HOME Investment Partnership Program, $1.1 M and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), $100,000.

According to the City web site, CDBG grants provide

…decent, safe and sanitary housing, a suitable living environment and expand economic opportunities; the HOME program provides formula grants to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income people. And the ESG program funds organizations that provide homeless persons with basic shelter and essential supportive services.

During the next couple of months, the Citizens Advisory Committee will review the proposals and make recommendations to the City Manager.

The public participation process continues when the draft of the Annual Plan is made available for citizens (the general public and interested parties) to review, probably in late March. Another public hearing will be held to receive comments on the draft. At the end of a 30 day period, the Final Plan will be presented to the City Council for their approval.

This fiscal year’s Annual Action Plan is available on the City web site as a PDF file. (It is about 203 pages long and 18 MB.) It is an informative document to read, examine or skim in that it not only gives a detailed listing of the recipients and the amounts awarded, totaling about $4.2 M but more important it gives a picture of the city’s efforts to fight poverty. I am not knowledgeable on HUD grants but it appears that Federal funds for social programs have been scaled back for this upcoming year. Well, we do have a war to pay for, don’t we?