Proposed 2016-2017 CD Year 42 Annual Action Plan and Notice of Public Hearing

A Summary of the City of Waterbury Consolidated Housing And Community Development 2016-2017 Annual Action Plan/ Use of Funds and Notice of Second Public Hearing on Tuesday, April 12, 2016.

The Waterbury Development Corporation (WDC) on behalf of the City of Waterbury has prepared the City's proposed 2016-2017 Annual Action Plan.  Notice is hereby given that the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) will hold a Public Hearing and public comment period for the proposed plan. This action is undertaken in compliance with federal regulations 24 CFR 91. The Action Plan delineates proposed activities to be funded under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The 2016-2017 Annual Action Plan identifies how this year’s funds will be used.  This year's HUD CDBG, HOME and ESG funding resulted in the following allocations: $1,917,162 (CDBG), $170,015 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and $633,968 HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).  Program income for 2016-2017  is anticipated to be $14,000 (CDBG) and $16,300 (HOME).  In addition, the City has also estimated that it will have approximately $371,055 in funds from previous years due to the cancellation of projects/activities or the completion of them under budget.  The proposed 2016-2017 Annual Plan is listed below.

A thirty (30) day public comment period will commence on March 29, 2016, and will end April 27, 2016. Drafts of the proposed plan will be available for public review at the Silas Bronson Library, 267 Grand Street, the Waterbury Development Corporation and the City Clerk’s Office, 235 Grand Street.  The Plan is also available here.

Written comments regarding the draft plan may be submitted to the attention of Casey Lawlor, Waterbury Development Corporation, 83 Bank Street, 3^rd Floor, Waterbury, CT. 06702 lawlor@wdconline.org

Second Public Hearing: Notice is hereby given that the CAC will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday April 12, 2016 at 5:30 PM for the purpose of receiving public input on the proposed plan. The hearing will be located in the Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 2nd floor, City Hall, 235 Grand Street, Waterbury, CT. The facility is handicapped accessible.  The City will provide interpreters and assistance for non-English speaking, hearing-impaired or disabled residents upon receiving a request at least four (4) days prior to this hearing date. Contact Casey Lawlor at 203-346-2607 ext. 7281 or at Lawlor@wdconline.org. All interested person(s) are encouraged to attend.

Proposed 2016-2017 Annual Action Plan:

Administration: $383,432 - Allocation of 20% CDBG funds to provide for program administration.

1. Social Service Programs

Brass City Harvest (73 Hill St. 324 Mill St.): $16,100 - Funds utilities, insurance, and purchase of fresh food.

Catholic Charities (13 Wolcott St.): $5,000- Funds salaries, building facility, and case management.

Center for Human Development (693 East Main St.): $28,000 – Funds coordinator salary.

Connecticut Legal Services (85 Central Ave.): $9,700 - Funds salaries for housing related legal services.

Family Services of Greater Waterbury (34 Murray St.): $9,500 - Funds behavioral health program coordinator.

Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries (770 East Main St.): $50,674 - Funds food, supplies, utilities and salaries at soup kitchen and food pantry.

Hispanic Coalition (135 East Liberty St.): $11,000 - Funds salaries for Hispanic community case managers.

Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (267 Grand St.): $5,500 - Funds salaries and expenses of the literacy program.

Safe Haven (29 Central Ave.): $9,500 - Funds utilities and insurance to support services for abused women/children.

Salvation Army (74 Central Ave.): $9,100 - Funds for emergency food pantry salaries and food.

Shakesperience Productions, Inc. (117 Bank St.): $5,000 - Funds acting intensive scholarship program

Waterbury Senior Shuttle (83 Bank St.): $109,500 - Funds transportation costs for seniors.

Waterbury Youth Service Systems (83 Prospect St.): $9,500 - Funds truancy program salaries.

WOW-NRZ Association, Inc.  (308 Walnut St.): $9,500 - Funds operating expenses of community center.

2. Improvement Projects:

Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury (1037 East Main St.): $32,332 – funds will be used to purchase and install new bottom cabinets with a counter and three bay sink and new pantry shelving for the kitchen.

Brass City Harvest (278 Mill St.): $135,000 - funds will be used for site improvements and to construct a new greenhouse.

Park Improvements – City Mills Park (99 City Mills Ln): $192,500 – Funds will be used to demolish the blighted bathroom and replace it with a new public bathroom.

Park Improvements – Fulton Park (438 Cooke St.): $383,159 – Funds will be used to reconstruct the Fulton Park wading pool, install new perimeter fencing, sidewalks, fountain and landscaping.

Park Improvements – Hamilton Park (110 Hamilton Park Rd): $82,720 – Funds will be used to replace the fence and bleachers serving the football and soccer fields at Hamilton Park.

Park Improvements – Waterville Park (1522 Thomaston Ave): $247,500 – Funds will be used to demolish the blighted bathroom and storage room and replace them with a new public bathroom and storage room.

Police Activity League of Waterbury (64 Division St.): $180,000 - Funds will be used for the installation of an updated HVAC system at the PAL Recreation Center

Neighborhood Facilities - St. Joseph Community Center (29 John St.): $300,000 - Funds will be used towards the pre-development and renovation of the auditorium, gymnasium, and bowling alley.

Neighborhood Facilities - St. Margaret Willow Plaza (60 Elmwood Ave): $64,000 - Funds will be used to install a steel fence and four gates on the front of the Community Center building.

Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG):

Administration: $12,751 - Allocation of 7.5% of ESG funds for program administration.

Safe Haven (29 Central Ave.): $18,337 – Funds shelter operations for victims of domestic violence.

Salvation Army (74 Central Ave.): $47,129 - $10,337 to fund shelter operations; $27,628 to fund salaries and direct financial assistance related to homelessness prevention services; $9,164 to fund salaries and direct financial assistance related to rapid re-housing services

St. Vincent DePaul (114 Benedict St.): $91,798 - $73,335 to fund shelter operations; $18,463 for direct financial assistance related to rapid re-housing services.

HOME Program: $633,968 - Funds will benefit low and moderate households, targeted as determined by the WDC. 10% ($63,397) will be used for administration and 15% ($95,095) will be used for CHDO housing development. $475,476 will be used for housing activities. An estimated $16,300 in program income will be put back into the program.