City Council Approves Mayor's 2020-21 Community Development Action Plan and $2.2 Million Budget

Monday, August 3, 2020 - 21:53

Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin announced tonight Charleston City Council approved the city’s FY 2020-21 Action Plan and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) budget. The City of Charleston will receive $1,516,617 in CDBG funds and $674,138 in Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds for the 2020-21 program year. The federal funds will be used to fund several projects throughout the City.

“The CDBG funding that the City will receive this year, and the plan that Charleston City Council passed tonight, will help a wide variety of organizations that provide vital services in our Capital City,” said Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “Organizations that will benefit from these funds include the Bob Burdette Center, Manna Meal, West Virginia Health Right, West Virginia Women Work, Pro-Kids and many more.”

To qualify for CDBG funds, projects or activities must meet at least one of the national CDBG program objectives: benefit low and moderate-income people, eliminate slum or blight, and/or address urgent needs posing a serious and immediate threat to the health and welfare of the community.

The largest portion of the 2020-21 funds – nearly $1 million – will be dedicated to housing rehabilitation or home-ownership programs for low- to moderate-income families/individuals and to assist with the needs of those experiencing homelessness.

The City also will use CDBG funds to focus on several key improvement projects:

- - - ADA Curb Ramps – These funds will provide for the repair and/or replacement of ADA accessible curb ramps in several downtown areas of Charleston. [$400,000.00]
    - CARE Office – Funding for support and services provided by the City’s CARE Office, particularly for homeless outreach, mental health support and substance use disorder services. [$100,000]
    - Kanawha Valley Senior Services – Funding for commercial kitchen equipment at the program’s new location. [$50,000]
    - Parks and Recreation – Funding for ADA compliant chair lifts at the City’s community swimming pools and funding to provide playground equipment at the Charleston-Kanawha Housing Authority’s Hillcrest Village. [$38,459]

City Council also approved the City’s Consolidated Five-Year CDBG Plan for FY20 – FY24, required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

For the past six months, the City has worked with consulting firm Urban Design Ventures in the preparation of the new five-year plan. The plan affirms the City will focus its upcoming CDBG and HOME funds on HUD's priority areas:

ensuring affordable, safe housing for low-to moderate-income individuals
working to address homelessness
helping to provide for sustainable low- to moderate-neighborhoods
overcoming Americans with Disability Act issues

“The plan is a blueprint on how the City will work to fulfill the public's needs and how it will prioritize the next five-years of CDBG funding accordingly,” said Mayor Goodwin. “City departments, community groups, social service providers, faith-based leaders, housing entities, and economic development groups provided input and ideas for this new plan. In partnership with these groups, the City will direct its ongoing efforts on affordable housing, housing rehab (low-to moderate income), demolitions/blight removal, social service needs, recreation, ADA compliance and sustainable, revitalized neighborhoods.”

The City’s Consolidated Five-Year Plan can be viewed at bit.ly/30o2j6i.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The primary objective is the development and support of viable urban communities. HUD believes viable communities are achieved by providing, principally, for low- and moderate-income people decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic opportunities.