Neighborhood grant will pump $1.5 million into local economy
7/28/2009
By Robyn Rogers
NT Managing Editor
At least 30 families in Hartford City will directly benefit from a $1.5 million grant coming through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. Motivated people who want a better home have the possibility of seeing government money help them achieve that through various means. Contractors also can get involved in the rehab and new construction that will result from the federal grant.The City of Hartford City accepted an award of Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant funds on May 28. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program is a program that originated with the Housing Recovery Act in July of 2008 – not the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA.) The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was the recipient of the funds on the federal Level.
Some of the ways in which local people can get involved, according to Angie Pappano of Kenna Consulting & Management, are as follows:
• Become a home buyer in the Downtown Revitalization Area.
• Participate in the Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program in the Downtown Revitalization Area.
• Offer your blighted property in the Downtown Revitalization Area to be considered for no-cost demolition.
• Offer your services as a contractor, sub-contractor, building materials supplier or local craftsman interested in performing work in the Downtown Revitalization Area.
• Volunteer in a variety of ways to assist in the revitalization in the Downtown Revitalization Area, Some opportunities include, short and long term volunteer labor, volunteer organizing, mentoring to new homeowners, donation of professional services, assisting the city with maintenance of land bank properties, provide temporary storage options for recycled building materials, and the like.
“Support and involvement from citizens is critical to the success of the program.,” Pappano said.
Hartford City requested more than $2.8 million in March and received just over half of the request in May. More than 80 proposals for the NSP funds were submitted to IHCDA and only 21 were funded. Mayor Dennis Whitesell said he feels very fortunate that Hartford City was selected for the program.
Through a formula, HUD allocated these funds across the country. The State of Indiana received $83,757,048. Part of the state’s allocation was allotted to a mortgage program operated by Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and the other $50 Million was allocated to the NSP competitive grant program.
With this grant it’s hoped the city can acquire bank owned and tax sale properties within the downtown neighborhood.
The area identified in the proposal was arrived at through research that showed a high concentration of bank owned, tax sale, blighted/vacant properties and homes in need of owner occupied rehabilitation.
These factors coincide with the regulations of the grant program and allow the city the ability to utilize the grant funds to the greatest extent possible. The funding allows the city fix up and re-sell the homes to income eligible home buyers. If a property is not able to be saved, the city can use the funds to demolish the blighted property and build a new home on the lot, selling the new home to an income eligible home buyer.
Some empty lots will be retained by the city for future development, according to Pappano, who wrote the grant proposal as well as a previous rehab grant the city won. The reason for keeping the lots is the market will not likely sustain re-development on all of the lots. Additionally, the funding will allow the city to fund the demolition of privately owned properties within the downtown neighborhood.
The original neighborhood for the grant was encompassed most of the center city but the actual area where homes will qualify still is under consideration.
The Hartford City NSP grant is part of a comprehensive approach the city is taking toward revitalization. Also included in this program is the use of local contractors, suppliers, sub-contractors and craftsmen, the use of volunteer labor to recycle building materials from the properties to be demolished and to perform general clean up on properties within the Downtown Neighborhood, the qualification and education of home buyers to create a successful home buyers, to assist homeowners already in the Downtown Neighborhood with renovations to properties they own and occupy as primary residences, and much more. All of these efforts are hoped to boost the local economy, revitalize the real estate market, and create interest in the newly revitalized Hartford City Downtown Square.
If anyone is interested in participating in the Hartford City Community & Neighborhood Stabilization Program, please contact Pappano at Kenna Consulting & Management Group, Inc. at 317-781-1651 or apappano@kennaconsulting.us.
The mayor said he is excited to see the results of this project and hopes it can be duplicated in other areas of the city. From time to time the city will hold update and informational meetings that the public will be invited to, and encouraged to attend. Watch the News Times for future details as they become available.
For more, visit http://hartfordcitynewstimes.com/
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