Nearly $2 million in federal funds will promote work in Kalamazoo neighborhoods

Fighting blight and enforcing Kalamazoo city building codes got a significant financial bump from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

That enforcement, help for organizations that work with the homeless and even funds for youth programs offered by the city parks and recreation department all will benefit from nearly $2 million recently awarded to the city.

"These federal funds are part of our on-going efforts to improve Kalamazoo’s neighborhoods and to provide housing assistance to local families," says Laura Lam, director of the City of Kalamazoo's Community Planning and Development Department. "While there is always more work to be done, these projects will all have a positive impact on our neighborhoods. We’re particularly pleased to see multiple local agencies partnering together to help with these community issues."

The $1.9 million in federal funds are from three different HUD programs:

• the Community Development Block Grant Program, which can be used for housing repairs, infrastructure, public safety, parks and other improvements.

• the HOME program, which offers funds used to provide affordable housing.

• Emergency Solutions Grant, which is used to prevent homelessness and to assist homeless individuals and families.

The largest portion of the funds from HUD is $400,000 to support the City’s Code Enforcement and Anti-Blight activities eligible neighborhoods--Eastside, Edison, Douglas, Northside, Central Business District, Southside, Stuart, Vine and Oakwood. Examples of ways the funds would be be used would be for them to go toward a housing inspector reviewing a rental property located in the Northside Neighborhood or a code compliance inspector issuing a ticket for open garbage in the Edison Neighborhood.

Nearly $282,000 will provide funds for a partnership between Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity, Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, Community HomeWorks, Urban Alliance and Senior Services that will be used for both minor home repairs and emergencies. An example would be if a senior needs assistance with accessibility updates, Senior Services would provide assistance, as long as the homeowner was income-qualified. An eligible emergency situation might be Community HomeWorks replacing a nonfunctioning furnace for a low-income household during the winter months.

Four vacant single-family homes in the Edison Neighborhood, primarily on Washington Avenue, will be rehabilitated through a partnership between Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services and Urban Alliance. That project will receive $259,470 of the HUD funds.

Other awards for the 2014-2015 budget year that begins July 1 are:

• $184,500 to the Northside Association for Community Development (NACD) to help with the rehabilitation of a vacant commercial structure on North Burdick Street and to turn it into a mixed use building with rental apartments for senior citizens and commercial uses.

• $161,730 to a partnership between Housing Resources, Inc. and Catholic Charities Dioceses of Kalamazoo which will provide rental assistance to low income households.

• $150,000 to support the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety’s Community Policing Officers program.

• $145,820 to the Vine Neighborhood Association for a targeted neighborhood grant for the area around South Rose Street and Burr Oak Street which will do minor housing repairs, support street beautification through Building Blocks, complete street and sidewalk repairs, and install bike repair stations in the neighborhood.

• $123,047 to the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care to assist homeless shelters and homeless service providers.

• $90,000 for neighborhood infrastructure projects.

• $50,000 for the City to demolish five blighted and abandoned residential structures.

• $40,000 to support fair housing activities.

• $29,900 to the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) to provide staffing for the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care, a collaboration of nonprofit, business, constituent groups and others that are creating a comprehensive and integrated approach to end homelessness and insure permanent housing for low-income people.

• $21,700 to the Parks and Recreation Department for youth programming.

• $5,000 for graffiti removal supplies.