What: Starting April 1st, the City of Portland will commemorate National Community Development Week with a series of events highlighting projects funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Program, two federal programs that have improved Portland’s communities. These federal funds impact a range of activities from community policing efforts, to home repair, to childcare and homeless services. Events scheduled for the week include a Preble Street food drive and City Shelters drive, a guided walk along Congress Street to see the use of CDBG funds in the community, including façade improvements for local businesses, ending with a tour of the Maine Irish Heritage Center, a community space in the West End that has received CDBG grants to improve handicap accessibility. There will also be a public input session about the future use of CDBG funds for workforce development in Portland. For more information, go to: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/planning/cdweekschedule2013.pdf
The CDBG program provides federal funds to the City of Portland for projects that ensure access to affordable housing, provide services to the city’s most vulnerable, and create jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses. In the past, CDBG program has funded playgrounds at Fox Street, Stone Street, Deering Oaks, Reiche and East End Community Schools; trees throughout the peninsula; Community Policing; numerous sidewalks to improve walkability of the City, plus landmarks such as the St. Lawrence Church, Abyssinian Meeting House and the Maine Irish Heritage Center. For more information about these programs, visit www.portlandmaine.gov/planning/commdev.asp or www.hud.gov
Established in 1994, HUD’s HOME program was designed to create affordable housing for low-income households by empowering people and communities to create and implement strategies tailored to their specific needs and priorities. In Portland, the program funds the rehabilitation of income-eligible owner-occupied properties with up to four units for as much as $15,000 per unit, and multi-family properties occupied by income-eligible tenants. Eligible applicants may receive a forgivable loan, a low-interest payable loan at 0-3%, or a combination of a forgivable loan and a payable loan. Appropriate financing terms are tailored to an individual applicant’s ability to pay. Deferred payment loans of up to $30,000 are also available for first-time homebuyers and all applicants can receive a free heat loss analysis by a Maine Certified Energy Auditor.
When & Where:
Monday April 1 – Friday April 5: Preble Street Food Drive & Portland City Shelters Drive
All week long, donations are being accepted for the Preble Street food programs and the Portland City Shelters. Bring any clean clothing, backpacks, socks or non-perishable food donations to City Hall, Room 312.
Wednesday April 3 – CDBG Working Group Public Input session
7:00pm, State of Maine room, City Hall 2nd floor
Come participate in shaping the future of CDBG in Portland by giving feedback on the recommendations of the CDBG Working Group, which has been examining how to facilitate sustainable workforce development through the CDBG program.
Friday April 5 – Façade Improvement walk & Tour of the Maine Irish Heritage Center
9:00am – depart City Hall for a walk along Congress Street, and end at the Maine Irish Heritage Center (corner of State & Gray) at approximately 9:45am
Take a walk along Congress Street and see the use of CDBG funds in the community, including façade improvements for local businesses, and enjoy a tour of the Maine Irish Heritage Center, a community space in the West End.
Thursday April 18 – Fair Housing Law talk
10:30am – 12:00pm, 190 Lancaster Street in Portland
April is Fair Housing month! Patricia Ender of Pine Tree Legal Assistance will talk about Fair Housing law in Maine. Pine Tree Legal is a statewide non-profit that provides low income Mainers with free, high quality legal assistance to help meet critical, basic needs like access to housing, food, income, safety, education, and well-being.
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