Area communities awarded federal grant funding

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

Community Development Corporations across the Valley were awarded federal grant funding Thursday afternoon aimed at completing infrastructure improvement projects, boosting social services and developing the construction of affordable housing and revamping area businesses.

Hampshire County communities listed among the 68 cities and towns in line to receive more than $33.6 million in federal Community Development Block Grants are Amherst, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Plainfield, Southampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg and Worthington. Collectively, local towns will be awarded $4.2 million for a wide variety of programs.

The grants will help communities get to work on a variety of projects that will make a real difference in peoples lives and our Commonwealth stronger in the long run, Patrick said. Whether they are used to spruce up homes or storefronts, better public services, or replace streets and sidewalks, these funds will generate jobs and make neighborhoods better places to live, work and conduct business.

In Amherst, the local CDC stands to receive $1 million for Olympia Drive infrastructure improvements; Amherst Housing Authority property modernization on four units; and a variety of social services, including the Big Brother Big Sister programs, Campus to Kids, childcare tuition, childcare subsidies, Survival Center family night, and Warming Place sheltering services.

The Hilltown CDC, which represents the towns of Chesterfield, Williamsburg, Goshen, Westhampton, Cummington, Peru, Plainfield and Worthington will be awarded $1.16 million for Housing rehabilitation on seven units; elevator for Nash Hill senior housing; first time homebuyer counseling and assistance; and social services, including childcare subsidies, healthcare for the elderly, elder in-home living assistance, family counseling and the local food pantry. Also, Worthington will receive funding toward handicapped access planning.

Every year we solicit new proposals from social service providers in our area and assist them in securing grant funding, said Hilltown CDC Housing Director Lischetti. This funding is great news for us.

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, which represents the towns of Southampton, Blanford, Granville, and Montogmery secured $874,410 for housing rehabilitation on 20 units and a housing needs assessment.

The CDBG program is the states largest resource for providing cities and towns with funding to support neighborhood revitalization projects and to meet the housing and public service needs of the Commonwealths low- and moderate-income population. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and funds are sent by the states Department of Housing and Community Development to cities and towns with populations less than 50,000.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com