Buncombe County Pursuing Stimulus Funds
Staff reports
Buncombe County is actively pursuing funding opportunities through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in order to meet the needs of our citizens and improve our infrastructure and enhance our overall economy. The County is seeking funding in the areas of renewable energy, affordable housing, law enforcement, transportation, libraries, parks, greenways and human service areas including Medicaid program enhancement, workforce development, community health centers and aging and child care assistance.
Renewable Energy: The County has submitted applications for
Clean Water State Revolving Funds for a portion of the $14,145,813
allocated to North Carolina for green projects; and for the $624,800
allocated to Buncombe County for Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Block Grant funds.
Affordable Housing: County staff is tracking the $19
million allocated for Community Development Block Grant funds and the
$52 million of HOME funds that will be available. The County will also
be seeking a portion of the $136 million funding for weatherization
programs through the NC Office of Economic Opportunity.
Law Enforcement: The County is requesting funds for
additional officers through the COPS program and funding assistance
through the USDA Community Facilities Program for the Public Safety
Training Center project.
Transportation: Mountain Mobility has received grant
funding of $26,000 for a light transit vehicle; $58,000 to convert 10
fleet vehicles to run on liquid propane; $156,000 for the purchase of
two light transit vehicles with fixed lift systems; $298,000 to
purchase and install a fleet-wide mobile data terminal/automatic
vehicle locator system; $80,000 in operating funds to continue the
Black Mountain Trailblazer route; $58,667 in operating funds to
establish a North Buncombe Trailblazer route.
Mountain Area Workforce Development: received a total
Recovery-designated allocation of $1.4 million as follows: $450,000 for
Youth Employment Programs; $700,000 for Dislocated Worker Programs;
$200,000 for Adult Employment Programs
Human Services: The County will seek funding for State
Child Health Insurance Program to assist children in families with
gross incomes up to 200% of the poverty level; other programs to
benefit from changes in Federal share are the Medicaid Federal Medical
Assistance Percentage; Foster Care and Adoption Assistance; Child
Support Enforcement and increased benefits for Food and Nutrition
Services (formerly food stamps).
Funding of $500,000 has been allocated to Buncombe County for
services to support the 10 year plan to end homelessness. The County
will continue tracking the $650 million in federal funds allocated for
health and wellness.
The community Federal Qualified Health Clinic, Western North
Carolina Community Health Center (WNCCHS) will receive significant
funding (of the $2 billion allocated) which will support the developing
partnership between the County and WNCCHS to expand access to health
care for the under and uninsured.
Buncombe County has a consolidated list of programs available
to citizens in need at buncombecounty.org/dss as well as an ongoing
list of stimulus grants received. To further assist our citizens, the
NC Cooperative Extension Agency has created a new website called Back
to Basics: Surviving and Thriving in Difficult Times.
sites.google.com/site/survivingtrouble/Home.
