All Businesses in the Empowerment Zone are now Eligible for Facade Improvement Grants

Aldermen OK $5 million in grants Angela Carter, Register Staff03/22/2005 Email to a friend Printer-friendly

NEW HAVEN — The Board of Aldermen Monday approved $5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant awards, uncertain if the program will exist next year.

President Bush’s budget proposal for the 2005-06 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1 for federal agencies, would consolidate CDBG funding with other programs and turn over block grant administration to individual states.

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development decides annual amounts for municipalities.

Congress has not yet approved the White House plan.

Meanwhile, the aldermen and Mayor John DeStefano Jr. are concerned about the fate of $3.3 million in block grants that now cover salaries for 50 city employees and the city’s ability to give small grants to nonprofit organizations.

"We’re afraid we’re going to have a lot of our key people laid off, but it’s possible things will not go as (Bush) planned," said Edward Mattison, D-10, chairman of the Human Services Committee. "It will be touch-and-go, but indeed, there is a national revolt. We just don’t know if it’ll be strong enough."

Each year, the city administration reviews applications and proposes allocations for nonprofit organizations and city departments that seek funding.

Those agencies and departments in turn use the money for programs and capital improvements that support housing, public health, neighborhood improvements, youth and social services and other activities.

Andrea Jackson-Brooks, D-4, chairwoman of the Community Development Committee, said annual funding cuts have been at 5 percent for the last few years.

She said the Senate last week voted to preserve the CDBG program. "Regardless of what happens in Congress this year, the message is that we have to learn to do more with less and to pay for more of it locally," Jackson-Brooks said.

Additionally, lawmakers passed $1.7 million to support the HOME housing loan program, $163,899 in Emergency Shelter Grants and $1.6 million for Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS services.

In other business, the board passed on a controversial parking ordinance for a third time. The proposed ordinance would ensure aldermanic review of parking plans for major developments, but the language still is being tweaked.

Lawmakers also expanded a business facade improvement program to include all six neighborhoods within the city’s Empowerment Zone: Dixwell, Dwight, Fair Haven, Hill, Newhallville and West Rock.

The Empowerment Zone is a federal designation that brings millions per year to improve neighborhood conditions, as well as employment, educational and business development opportunities for people living in impoverished census tracts.

Angela Carter can be reached at acarter@nhregister.com or 789-5614.

©New Haven Register 2005

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