City Now Taking Applications For Grant Funds

Kent City Manager Dave Ruller announced in his Kent360° blog this week that the city is now taking applications from those with good ideas for spending the Kent’s share of Community Development Block Grant funds.

The last round of funding provided direct assistance to 18 low-to-moderate income households through housing programs. Another 1,453 people were assisted directly through various public service and public facility improvement projects.

Here’s Ruller’s blog post:

The city’s Planning Department  staff asked me to spread the word that the annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is ready to receive applications for a piece of the CDBG pie.

Typically that $290,000 gets spread around over multiple community based projects that provide much-needed financial assistance to the low to moderate income level families that live in Kent.

In 2010-11, the city’s CDBG funded projects helped over 1,400 people in Kent.  We’re looking for projects to fund in 2012-13 that will touch even more lives.

A couple of months ago I posted the 2010-11 CDBG program summary to show how and where the funds get spent in our community. It’s a good place to start to get a sense of the kinds of projects we’re looking for in 2012.

Better yet, here’s the instructions straight out of the Planning Department for 2012 project submissions:

The city of Kent participates in the federally-funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

As part of the 2012 CDBG submission to HUD, the city must identify activities to be funded with the city’s anticipated CDBG funding allocation. The city is now accepting proposals from qualified applicants seeking 2012 CDBG funding for eligible activities.

The application submittal deadline is Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 4:00 p.m.

To be considered for funding assistance, all applicants must propose projects and/or activities that comply with the requirements established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Community Development Block Grant program, as well as the funding objectives identified by the City in its 2011-2014 Five Year Consolidated Plan.

The city’s 2011-2014 Consolidated Plan funding objectives include:

• Targeted infrastructure improvements in low-to-moderate income residential areas of the city.

• Offering housing programs that provide safe and decent housing for low-to-moderate income households.

• Provide appropriate supportive services and assistance to low-to-moderate income persons, including supporting programs that promote opportunities for improved self-sufficiency and/or a suitable living environment.

Program application process

City of Kent 2012 Program Year CDBG Application form: An electronic copy of the proposal is available at this link.

If you need a paper copy of the form or need to ask questions regarding the 2012 CDBG application process, please contact Suzanne Robertson via email at robertsons@kent-ohio.org or call 330-676-7572.

Visit Ruller's website regularly to see what the city manager has to say, or become an email subscriber of Ruller's weekly blog by signing up on his website's home page.