Montgomery County leaders mulling over federal funding for housing, accessibility, blight removal projects

The Montgomery County commission will decide on Community Development Block Grant funding proposals in the coming weeks. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

The Montgomery County commission will decide on Community Development Block Grant funding proposals in the coming weeks. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

The Montgomery County commission is reviewing projects that were recommended for federal funding geared toward development and increasing accessibility in communities.

This includes requests for $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding for an owner-occupied housing rehabilitation project in Miamisburg, $75,000 for the continued work on a water main that serves Trotwood residents living on Eppington Drive and $282,400 in other projects geared toward blight removal and other public improvements.

CommunityProjectCDBG funding requestTotal project cost
BrookvilleLieber Center ADA bathrooms$50,000$60,000
EnglewoodProperty acquisition and blight removal$25,000$50,000
GermantownImproving neighborhood accessibility$37,400$44,000
MiamisburgOwner-occupied home rehabilitation$100,000$150,000
RiversideFighting blight$93,750$125,000
TrotwoodEppington water main project$150,000$1,017,744
TrotwoodDemolition and code enforcement$150,000$150,000
West CarrolltonExit 47 Gateway Sign$60,034$60,034

The CDBG program’s goal is to help with neighborhood development through housing and expanding economic opportunities, particularly for people who have low to moderate income. This funding has not been a target of federal budget cuts, said Community Development Manager Libby Schroeder.

Projects must meet one of three national objectives to be considered for CDBG funding. They must either benefit low- and moderate-income people, eliminate a blighting influence or meet an urgent need.

Schroeder said that historically, more than 90% of the county’s CDBG funds are used to benefit low- and moderate-income people.

Montgomery County communities submitted 11 applications for funds. An advisory committee, which is composed of jurisdiction leaders, approved eight of the projects.

Schroeder said CDBG funds typically only cover a portion of the proposed projects, with communities covering the rest of project costs through other sources.

Schroeder said applications that weren’t considered for funding included a request for $20,000 to cover the costs of a study in Carlisle to determine the low-to-moderate income areas in the community.

Two other proposals — one for improvements to Cromer Park in Miami Twp. and one for sanitary sewer work in Vandalia — are pending because, as proposed, they didn’t meet requirements for this specific funding pool.

A public hearing about CDBG funding is slated for July 7 at 10:30 a.m. at the Montgomery County Administrative Building. Montgomery County commissioners will decide on the projects’ funding requests in the days following the public hearing.

Applicants for funding will be notified about their projects in August.

Last year, the commission approved $890,812 in CDBG funding for 18 projects.

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