Weymouth recognizes National Community Development Week, April 6-11
Weymouth, MA – April 8, 2015 – At Monday’s Town Council meeting, Mayor Susan Kay and the Weymouth Town Council issued a proclamation supporting the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program by recognizing National Community Development Week, April 6-11, 2015. National CD Week is a time for citizens, government officials, businesses, media and non-profit organizations to recognize the positive impacts that CDBG and HOME have on their local communities. National CD week also serves as a venue for educating the public about these programs.
“The CDBG and HOME programs have been an invaluable resource for the Town,” says Mayor Kay. “They support many of our most essential public services, and in the past several years, they’ve made it possible to complete a number of activities that we were struggling to see finished after the recession.” A new elevator and handicapped lavatory at the Fogg Library, as well as a new water main on White Street, are two recent projects that Mayor Kay notes were supported with CDBG money.
2015 marks the 41st anniversary of the CDBG program. The CDBG program provides grants to over 1,200 local governments to create neighborhood approaches that improve the physical, economic and social conditions in communities. Every $1.00 of CDBG leverages another $4.07 in other funding; bringing additional resources to communities that support both local jobs and the overall quality of the life. The HOME program, now in its 24th year, provides grants to over 600 local participating jurisdictions to create safe, sanitary and affordable housing in communities. Every $1.00 of HOME leverages an additional $4.16 in other funding to assist homeowners and homebuyers. Both programs are administered nationally by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Between July 2008 and June 2013, Weymouth used CDBG funding to help 31,611 persons through investments in housing assistance, public services and public improvements. This comes to an average of over 6,100 residents a year, or about one out of every 10 people in Weymouth. During these years, one hundred percent of Weymouth's CDBG funds benefited low- and moderate-income persons and households, either directly or on an area basis.
“CDBG funds must mainly benefit low- and moderate-income residents,” explains Planning Director Jim Clarke. “They’re given to communities to promote good housing, economic opportunities, and a suitable living environment." In Weymouth, eligible activities have included housing rehabilitation, first-time home buyer programs, child care services and senior services, street and sidewalk improvements, flood drainage improvements, and park and recreational facilities improvements – just to name a few.
“These programs make it possible to help our Town’s most vulnerable families and at the same time improve the overall conditions of our wonderful neighborhoods,” says Mayor Kay.
The CDBG and HOME programs have seen funding reductions in the past several years. In federal FY 2010, CDBG was funded nationally at $3.990 billion and HOME was funded at $1.825 billion. CDBG is now funded at $3.0 billion national and HOME at $900 million. As a consequence of this reduction, Weymouth has seen its CDBG allocation drop from $895,649 to $670,311. Adjusting for inflation, this is a 31 percent reduction, or a loss of nearly one third of federal funding.