$3.3 million goes to Arkansas counties, cities through block grants

Gov. Mike Beebe on Wednesday (Nov. 20) presented grants totaling $3.3 million to 16 Arkansas cities and counties at a ceremony held today at the State Capitol. The funds originate from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The grants will be administered by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Grants Division.

To be eligible for CDBG funds, communities must have a population of less than 50,000 and a majority of households earning low to moderate incomes.

The projects include the following cities:
Alma, senior center, $203,000
Cave City, childcare center, $325,000
Cove, street improvement/drainage, $150,382
Crawfordsville, library, $99,000
Dewitt, neighborhood facility, $213,220
Harrison, community center, $78,000
Jericho, road/street improvements, $216,000
Marianna, road/street improvements, $212,000
Morrilton, senior center, $203,000

And the following counties:
Columbia County, childcare center, $165,000
Dallas County, senior center, $203,000
Dallas County, neighborhood facility, $216,000
Hempstead County, public health facility, $325,000
Lonoke County, neighborhood facility, $216,000
Saline County, neighborhood facility, $216,000
Stone County, food pantry, $60,000
Woodruff County, senior center, $203,000

“CDBG funds go a long way to help improve quality of life for many of Arkansas’s most economically challenged citizens,” said Basil Julian, director of AEDC’s Grants Division. “We are fortunate that we are able to make these improvements for basic infrastructure and community needs.”