The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has authorized $450,010 in fiscal year 2019 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the City of Hot Springs.
These funds enable the City to support projects that include the following:
- RA Psychle Community Call, Care and Compliance (4C) program to provide lawn care services for qualifying elderly and disabled residents beginning next spring
- continue home buyer education classes
- replace the aged restroom at Linden Park
- sidewalk and ADA accessibility improvements on Arbor Street, Cedar Street, Malvern Avenue and Park Avenue
- bus shelters at Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness and on Hobson Avenue near Lacey Street
- Habitat for Humanity’s new affordable home building on Watt Street and Garland Avenue, pending completion of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental reviews
Prior year CDBG projects currently underway include improvements at Ouachita Children’s Center, bus shelter installation on Highrise Circle and Central Avenue at Crestwood Street, home buyer education classes and sidewalks on Myrtle Street. Projects completed earlier this year include John Lee Webb House historic restoration activities, Reverend Donald James Rice Park development and Bell Street sidewalk improvements to Oaklawn Middle School.
“We would like to thank members of Congress for supporting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant budget, the citizen-led Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) in evaluating proposals and recommending priorities in alignment with program objectives and resident needs, and the many non-profits and neighborhood associations who present ideas and carry out activities to make the program a success,” said the City’s CDBG Administrator Michelle Sestili.
Residents are invited to attend the Community Development Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday, at 1 p.m. on October 3 in the board chambers at City Hall, 133 Convention Blvd., to hear presentations and comment on the 17 applications requesting fiscal year 2020 CDBG funding. Applications are available for review in the Planning & Development office, 133 Convention Blvd., or online at https://www.cityhs.net/563/Community-Development.
For questions, comments or to request reasonable accommodations, contact Sestili at 501-276-7934 or msconsulting@outlook.com.