The Gainesville Housing & Community Development Division (HCD) held a community meeting on Monday evening at the Thelma Boltin Center, 516 NE 2nd Ave., to review the Proposed Annual Action Plan.
This was one of four meetings that will be held to encourage citizen feedback in review of the plan.
The plan included details about how the city will use federal funding from the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program for the 2019-2020 year beginning on Oct. 1, and ending on Sept. 30, 2020.
The funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are used for efforts towards housing and community development efforts. The HUD requires recipients to submit an Annual Action Plan.
The Gainesville City Commission adopted the Five-Year Consolidated Plan on Aug. 2, 2018.
The Consolidated Plan includes the city’s community development needs, strategies and activities to address using federal funds.
The City anticipates $1,319,592 in CDBG funding for the 2019 - 2020 year. These funds will be used for the provision of decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic activity, according to the presentation.
The City anticipates $530,141 in HOME funding. Eligible activities for the program include homeownership assistance, housing rehabilitation and new construction of affordable housing, according to the presentation.
Gainesville resident and community activist Kali Blount, 62, gave feedback at the meeting.
“The housing pattern we have is totally about racism and today, economic segregation has replaced racial segregation but it’s 80 percent approximate,” he said. “We have to face up to it and say we’re not going to be this anymore.”
