Everett to receive $825K in CDBG funding

  Everett is once again slated to receive an $825,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to provide funding for housing rehabilitation assistance, social services for homelessness individuals and youth and elder services as well as the Bread of Life.

  Matthew Lattanzi, director of Planning and Development, said the $825,000 grant is the maximum amount available for a Mini-Entitlement Community. Within that figure, he said, $438,000 will be used for the Housing Rehabilitation Program. “Assuming an average allocation of $36,500 per unit, this equates to 12 units eligible for rehabilitation,” said Lattanzi. “Residents can apply for zero percent interest loans for home repair projects and, if the property owner continues to own and live on the premises for a certain number of years, the loan is 100 percent forgivable.”

  In addition, $40,000 will be allocated to Housing Families Inc., $60,000 to Bread of Life, $35,000 to For Kids Only and $30,000 to Mystic Valley Elder Services. “These four organizations have shown their ability to spend down the funds within the year and have proven themselves as fantastic partners with the city, servicing our residents’ needs,” said Lattanzi.

  Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith highlighted the importance of using a portion of CDBG funds for youth programming. “I am hopeful that the Administration uses portions of this grant to further develop plans for a Boys and Girls Club for the youth of our city and for continuing to invest and support our local businesses that are still struggling in the aftermath of COVID,” she said.

  On the state level, more than $38 million in CDBG funds have been awarded to 57 communities throughout Massachusetts this year. “Community Development Block Grants have been critical to our efforts to support communities across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Now more than ever, it is important that we focus our efforts on providing services to our most vulnerable residents, and the projects we fund through CDBG are geared toward doing just that.”

  During the past two years, the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) secured more than $75 million in federal funding to assist 36 communities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.“Municipalities continue to prove their adaptability with rapidly changing demands during this extended period of uncertainty. DHCD and our partners are here to help communities address short-term needs and plan for growth and shared prosperity,” said DHCD Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox. “I also want to thank the team at DHCD for their attention in distributing an additional $75 million CDBG CARES funds to support eviction diversion efforts, food stability initiatives, and other critical services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”