Community Invited to Develop Priorities for $3 Million of Federal Funding

The City of Asheville wants to hear your ideas on how nearly $3,000,000 in federal funds should be spent in fiscal year 2007-2008 (July 2007 through June 2008) to help low-income citizens with affordable housing or other needs. In order to receive the funds from the federal government, the community is required to decide how it will use the money on specific projects. 

Two public meetings are planned to kick off the process for allocating 2007-08 funds for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the HOME Investment Partnerships program.  

Henderson and Transylvania county residents are invited to a meeting on Tuesday, November 14 at 5:00 p.m. in the Brevard City Council Chambers at 151 Main St. in Brevard.  



A
meeting for residents of Buncombe and Madison counties will be held on
November 15 at 6 p.m. in the Public Works Building located at 161 S.
Charlotte St. in Asheville. The exact level of funding available for
2007-08 is not yet known because federal budget appropriations are
still under discussion by Congress.   

In recent years,
CDBG and HOME funds have been used to build affordable homes, provide
housing repairs, improve infrastructure, and assist small businesses.
Examples of successful projects are The Village at King Creek, a
housing development nearing completion on Spartanburg Highway in
Hendersonville, and the Battery Park Apartments, recently renovated to
maintain 121 units of rental housing for the elderly, in Asheville.
       


CDBG funds must
be spent within the City of Asheville and can be used for a wide range
of activities that benefit low-income residents, including housing
rehabilitation, economic development, social services and neighborhood
improvements. HOME funds can be spent anywhere in Buncombe, Madison,
Henderson and Transylvania Counties and must be used for affordable
housing.  


Application forms for funding for specific programs will be available at the meetings.