Furthering the Christie Administration’s commitment to at-risk populations and low- and moderate-income families, New Jersey Acting Governor Kim Guadagno today announced the award of nearly $3 million in Small Cities Block Grants to municipalities in Cumberland and Salem Counties. The 12 grants announced today will benefit six municipalities, two counties, and thousands of residents in the South Jersey region by providing funding for projects such as housing rehabilitation, development of public facilities and improvements to public infrastructure.
Acting Governor Guadagno announced the grants – $1,330,000 for Cumberland County local government and $1,600,000 for Salem County local government, during visits to Bridgeton and Pittsgrove Township today.
“These grants help make communities and the lives of people living in them better by addressing important and varied local needs,” said Acting Governor Guadagno. “Funds will help replace and repair deteriorating water and sewer mains that we rely on every day but seldom think about until there’s a problem. We’re also helping repair Ballinger’s Mill Dam and making improvements to the Bridgeton Public Library to better serve local residents and preserve it as a resource for the community. Even residents whose homes suffered from the ravages of Hurricane Irene will benefit.”
The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Division of Housing and Community Resources administers the Small Cities Community Development Block Grants, which are designated to benefit people of low and moderate income or to address recent local needs for which no other source of funding is available. Funding for the Small Cities Program is provided by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Development Block Grant Program. The DCA receives, distributes and administers the grant funds for the State of New Jersey.
“Our primary objective is to develop these viable communities by improving their housing situations, their overall quality of life, and their economic opportunities,” stated DCA Acting Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III. “The Small Cities grants are an innovative way to give incentives to local communities to focus on housing rehabilitations, urban renewal and other public services. It is the best way for us to give maximum benefits to some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
Small Cities develop their own programs and funding priorities. The projected use of funds must be developed to give maximum feasible priority to activities that benefit low- and moderate- income persons or aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight.
The projected use of funds may also include activities that the applicant certifies are designed to meet other urgent community development needs because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community where other financial resources are not available to meet such needs. At least 70 percent of each grant made available to a local government unit must benefit low- and moderate-income persons.
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