AEDC Awards Community Development Block Grants To 10 Communities

Kudos

by Stephanie Baker ([email protected]) June 27, 2013 10:40 am 101 views 

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) has awarded more than $1.6 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to 10 Arkansas communities.

All Arkansas cities and counties are eligible for the grant program with the exception of 14 entitlement cities that receive CDBG funds directly from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

To be eligible, more than half the population benefiting from the grants must be of low to moderate income.

The 10 projects include the following cities:

  • Jericho – $216,000 to prepare and pave five failing streets.
  • Cove – $134,348 for street improvements and widening of Polk Road 32 and Old Cove Road.
  • Crawfordsville – $99,000 to renovate the city library to add space for after-school programs and storage for books and educational materials.
  • Dewitt – $213,220 to remodel Dana’s House for the purpose of housing young adults who have aged out of foster care.
  • Harrison – $78,000 to remove and replace the HVAC system, doors, windows, and roof of the House of Hope and install a new security system in the building.
  • Marianna – $212,000 to prepare and pave failing streets.

And the following counties:

  • Dallas County – $216,000 for construction of a new building for the Sunshine House foster home.
  • Lonoke County – $216,000 for construction of a 2,750-square-foot building addition to the Wade Knox Children’s Advocacy Center in Lonoke.
  • Saline County – $216,000 for construction of a new facility in Bryant to expand current services offered by Civitan Services.
  • Stone County – $60,000 to purchase a walk-in cooler and freezer for the Stone County Food Pantry.

“The CDBG program continues to improve Arkansas communities in many ways,” said Basil Julian, director of AEDC’s Grants Division. “Arkansas’s cities and counties have a variety of needs and through the General Assistance and Innovative Projects program, we are able to implement very specific projects that would not be possible through normal funding. These improvements create pride in community while preparing the area for growth.”