Kalamazoo Times

Community members can comment on the draft Annual Action Plan for Program Year 2023 starting today, Monday March 13, through Wednesday, April 12. Comments can be provided by email to cpedcompliance@kalamazoocity.org, by phone to (269) 337-8210, or by mail to the City's Community Planning & Economic Development Office, 245 N Rose Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007.

View the PY2023 Action Plan Draft

The Action Plan outlines how the City will use federal grant funding received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City prepares a Consolidated Plan every five years which identifies community needs. Action Plans are prepared each year to outline how funding will be used to meet those needs. The anticipated total funding outlined in this PY2023 Draft Action Plan is $2,168,315 though Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME entitlement grants. The City will also use approximately $47,000 in anticipated program income, bringing the total available budget to $2,215,315.

The plan’s goals and objectives were developed through a needs assessment of housing, homelessness, special needs populations, and community development, as well as consultations with area agencies and citizen input. The resulting priorities are:

• Improve the amount of decent and affordable housing in the city.
• Work towards ending homelessness by supporting HUD’s Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness implemented through the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care.
• Advance the sustainability of the CDBG-eligible neighborhoods identified in the Consolidated Plan through the continuation of city services and redevelopment of key neighborhood improvements.
• Develop well-adjusted and productive adults through supporting youth programs and activities that provide positive experiences and opportunities to enhance interests, skills, and abilities into adulthood.

The plan outlines specific activities that will be funded in these areas like youth programs, critical home repairs, roof replacement, accessibility repairs, and crime awareness and prevention, among other investments. So far in the 2019-2024 Consolidated Plan period, 358 homes have been rehabilitated, 15 homes have been remediated of lead-based paint, 908 people experiencing homelessness received supportive services, and 19 blighted buildings were demolished, among other activities.

For more information, please contact Julie Johnston at the Community Planning and Economic Development Department at (269) 337-8210 or johnstonj@kalamazoocity.org. You can view all community development plans and reports here.

Original source can be found here.