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Spending wisely
By Rhonda Moore
How to spend $4 million dollars over the next five years?
That’s the question Douglas County will submit to residents interested in giving some guidance on how to best spend federal grant money dedicated to housing and community development. The money comes to the county in increments of $800,000 per year through the Community Development Block Grant, said Jennifer Eby, the county’s administrator for the grant.
In years past, the block grant money has financed improvements in public services and facilities, providing the money to expand the Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Center offices. Other uses include improvements in the county’s transportation services with the purchase of two new vehicles for the Castle Rock Senior Center, assistance with rent and mortgage through the Douglas/Elbert Task Force and down payment assistance through the Douglas County Housing Partnership.
This year, however, the program leadership hopes to get some insight from the community it serves.
To identify and complete a long-term plan for the grant’s future income, the program is seeking public input to set spending objectives for the next five years, Eby said.
“We’d like residents to come out and tell us where they think the most important areas are to spend the funds on. What’s most important for the Douglas County community?” Eby said. “The money has to be spent for the benefit of low and moderate income residents, that’s our biggest limitation. The [Community Development Block Grant] program is really flexible and can be used for many things.”
Residents who benefit from the outreaches qualify on an individual basis and are usually low-income qualified, Eby said. The grant money can be used for infrastructure improvements on sidewalks and road paving, for economic development to expand the job market, for public services and for assistance with affordable housing.
Affordable housing has been a major part of outreach for the block grant, Eby said.
“We can use the money for home ownership or rent assistance,” she said. “I would have to say affordable housing is the largest need in Douglas County.”
The need for affordable housing was identified in a study conducted in August and September, which focused on identifying the priorities for Douglas County’s low and moderate income population. Limitations on information from the public census make it impossible to identify how much of the population qualifies as low income, Eby said.
Among the uses for the money is a way to bring relief to the county’s target areas hit by foreclosure activity, Eby said. Qualifying individuals, however, can get help through the down-payment assistance program and purchase homes that have been foreclosed on, Eby said.
“That improves the overall area by placing a homeowner in that situation,” Eby said. “So it helps people with affordable homeownership while at the same time helping the neighborhood rebuild.”
The block grant will be host to a community meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Parker Town Hall, 20120 E Main Street in Parker, and a focus group from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Douglas County Miller Building, 100 Third St. in Castle Rock. Both meetings are open to the public.
A free dinner will be served at the Nov. 18 meeting and results from this fall’s survey will be available for review. Reservations are required for the Nov. 18 meeting. RSVP by Nov. 17 to Tina Dill at 303-814-4380.
Organizers have received word of interest by about 100 residents but invite all interested residents to attend, Eby said.
That’s the question Douglas County will submit to residents interested in giving some guidance on how to best spend federal grant money dedicated to housing and community development. The money comes to the county in increments of $800,000 per year through the Community Development Block Grant, said Jennifer Eby, the county’s administrator for the grant.
In years past, the block grant money has financed improvements in public services and facilities, providing the money to expand the Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Center offices. Other uses include improvements in the county’s transportation services with the purchase of two new vehicles for the Castle Rock Senior Center, assistance with rent and mortgage through the Douglas/Elbert Task Force and down payment assistance through the Douglas County Housing Partnership.
This year, however, the program leadership hopes to get some insight from the community it serves.
To identify and complete a long-term plan for the grant’s future income, the program is seeking public input to set spending objectives for the next five years, Eby said.
“We’d like residents to come out and tell us where they think the most important areas are to spend the funds on. What’s most important for the Douglas County community?” Eby said. “The money has to be spent for the benefit of low and moderate income residents, that’s our biggest limitation. The [Community Development Block Grant] program is really flexible and can be used for many things.”
Residents who benefit from the outreaches qualify on an individual basis and are usually low-income qualified, Eby said. The grant money can be used for infrastructure improvements on sidewalks and road paving, for economic development to expand the job market, for public services and for assistance with affordable housing.
Affordable housing has been a major part of outreach for the block grant, Eby said.
“We can use the money for home ownership or rent assistance,” she said. “I would have to say affordable housing is the largest need in Douglas County.”
The need for affordable housing was identified in a study conducted in August and September, which focused on identifying the priorities for Douglas County’s low and moderate income population. Limitations on information from the public census make it impossible to identify how much of the population qualifies as low income, Eby said.
Among the uses for the money is a way to bring relief to the county’s target areas hit by foreclosure activity, Eby said. Qualifying individuals, however, can get help through the down-payment assistance program and purchase homes that have been foreclosed on, Eby said.
“That improves the overall area by placing a homeowner in that situation,” Eby said. “So it helps people with affordable homeownership while at the same time helping the neighborhood rebuild.”
The block grant will be host to a community meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Parker Town Hall, 20120 E Main Street in Parker, and a focus group from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Douglas County Miller Building, 100 Third St. in Castle Rock. Both meetings are open to the public.
A free dinner will be served at the Nov. 18 meeting and results from this fall’s survey will be available for review. Reservations are required for the Nov. 18 meeting. RSVP by Nov. 17 to Tina Dill at 303-814-4380.
Organizers have received word of interest by about 100 residents but invite all interested residents to attend, Eby said.
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