The Jamestown City Council listens to a presentation by Vince DeJoy, city development director, on the Community Development Block Grant and HOME program action plans for 2019 during a public hearing Monday. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

More than $1 million will be invested in the city to benefit low- and moderate- income residents.

On Monday, Vince DeJoy, city development director, discussed the details of the 2019 community development block grant and HOME program funding to the Jamestown City Council. City officials will receive $1,165,646 in CDBG funds, which is slightly higher than the $1,158,549 granted last year.

DeJoy said $180,000 will be used for the neighborhood target area infrastructure improvement program, which will happen on the eastside of the city.

This program provides upgrades of substandard curbing, sidewalks and streets in designated low and moderate areas of the city.

The neighborhood target area demolition program will receive $125,000. DeJoy said city officials will be able to fund about four demolitions.

The target area greenlining facade improvement program will receive $125,000, the American With Disabilities Act improvements program will be funded $120,000 and downtown handicapped accessibility improvements will be granted $115,000.

One of two new programs for this year’s CDBG action plan will be funding $110,000 to upgrade the restroom facilities at Chadakoin Park. The upgrades follow the installation of new playground equipment last summer. A $200,000 grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation’s Built to Play initiative and KaBoom Inc. assisted local officials and community residents install the new playground.

The other new program is to build a proposed Riverwalk Skate Park with $100,000 in funding. Earlier this year, it was announced the city had received the Tony Hawk Foundation grant for a new skateboard park in the city, which is a matching grant with a maximum of $250,000 and a minimum of $50,000.

Sam Teresi, Jamestown mayor, said there is a grassroots effort in the community to raise more funding to reach the maximum matching grant of $250,000.

SK8 JTNY is the name of the donation fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. People interested in donating can send a check to the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, 418 Spring St., Jamestown, NY 14701. For more information, visit crcfonline.org.

DeJoy said $57,517 will also be used to fund the target area code enforcement officer, which covers part of the salary and benefits for one of the city’s housing inspectors.

In 2019, the city will receive $315,537 for the HOME program, which is lower than the $326,751 city officials received last year. DeJoy said $236,653 will go toward the citywide owner-occupied rehabilitation program, which helps people bring their homes into code compliance. DeJoy said there are grants ranging from 50 to 100 percent depending on the homeowners income.

As part of the HOME program, 15 percent has to go to a Community Housing Development Organization. DeJoy said the $47,331 in funding will go to local organizations CHRIC and CODE Inc. to assist with funding programs to improve housing in the city.

No one from the public spoke during Monday’s public hearing. Teresi said public comment can still be made on the plan by contacting city officials during the next 30 days at the development department by calling 483-7541. After the 30-day public comment period, the Jamestown City Council will vote on accepting the plan, which needs to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by the end of July.

The city annually qualifies for grant funding from HUD for housing and community development projects. In order to receive funding, the city is required to submit a consolidated plan that outlines community needs and how grant funds will be prioritized. Community input was gathered during two public hearings prior to Monday, which is done as part of the planning process.

Community officials in New York state use the CDBG and HOME funding to address a wide range of needs, which enables local governments to support affordable housing initiatives and expand economic development. The CDBG program provides municipalities in New York with critical funding for transformative and unique development projects and needed funding to leverage outside investment in job creation projects. The funds continue to play a critical role in facilitating local economic development in Upstate New York and helping local governments succeed.

HOME funding is the primary source of funding for state and local governments to buy and rehabilitate affordable housing. According to HUD, the HOME program provides grants to states and localities that communities use, often in partnership with local nonprofit groups or development companies.

These communities and organizations then fund activities such as building, buying and rehabilitating affordable housing units for rent or homeownership. HOME is the largest federal block grant provided to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing.

HUD officials have three purposes for the use of CDBG funding. First is to prevent or eliminate slums or blight, second is to benefit low-to-moderate-income residents and third is to meet a particular urgent need for the municipality. The CDBG program stipulates that at least 70 percent of funding must be used for low-to-moderate-income benefit activities, and no more than 30 percent of funds can be used for slums and blighted areas.