City Of Salem: City Of Salem To Develop Annual CDBG Action Plan

Press release from the City of Salem:

January 4, 2022

Mayor Kimberley Driscoll has announced that the City of Salem is developing its annual Action Plan, which will outline priority activities for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds that the City of Salem anticipates receiving during Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23). This funding, provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, assists income-eligible households and low- to moderate-income neighborhoods through a variety of programs, services and improvements.

The FY23 Action Plan will outline Salem’s housing, economic and community development needs and funding priorities for the period of July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The plan will continue to put into action the goals and strategies established in the 5-Year Consolidated Plan, which was completed following an extensive public participation process in 2020. 

“Salem residents, non-profit agency representatives, and other interested persons are invited to participate in the process for developing the FY23 Action Plan,” said Mayor Driscoll. “Your input on the housing, community, and economic development programs and services needed for Salem residents and neighborhoods will help guide the use of Salem’s Federal CDBG and HOME dollars.”

During FY21, Salem expended $771,698 in CDBG; $369,867 in CDBG-CV Funds and $138,848 in HOME funds. With these funds, 13 families were assisted with first/last rent and/or security deposits and 9 high risk homeless individuals were placed into housing with supportive services. Over 130 businesses were assisted with services that ranged from emergency grants  that helped provide relief from the negative business impacts of COVID-19 to technical assistance for small businesses, such as  marketing, branding, and accounting. The city also expended funding to complete an artist row lighting project, develop a housing needs assessment and plant 19 new trees.

With CDBG, the City was also able to fund 41 social service programs that served over 11,000 persons with services, including emergency homelessness prevention, food assistance, support programs for victims of domestic violence, a remote learning after school program, accessible housing assistance, medical services for homeless persons, ESL/ELL classes, tax preparation services, career counseling, financial literacy sessions, senior transportation, a senior exercise program, police bicycle patrols, citizenship classes, legal services for immigrants, Spanish GED classes, youth after school and engagement programs including playground programs, and a college success savings program. COVID-19 support enabling increased hours of a day center for homeless persons, expanding a food pantry capacity,  distributing food through mobile food pantries, providing emergency childcare, and distribution self-care items to seniors and providing 417 care packages to low income families.

Mayor Driscoll invites Salem residents, businesses, organizations, and agencies to participate in the public input participation process that will kick off on January 20, 2022, with a public hearing at 6:00 p.m. via remote participation. For remote participation instructions, see the complete public hearing notice at https://www.salem.com/legal-notices.The purpose of this hearing is to give interested persons the opportunity to comment on the housing, community and economic development needs of Salem’s low- to moderate-income residents and on the types of activities that could be undertaken to meet those needs  Interested parties may also provide written comment addressed to the City of Salem Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) or via email to achiancola@salem.com, by January 24th .

Following this hearing, the DPCD will prepare the draft Action Plan for FY23, which is expected to be available for public comment at the end of March. Copies of the draft plan will be available for viewing on www.salem.com.

This press release was produced by the City of Salem. The views expressed here are the author’s own.