Likewise she said a $600,000 request by the Center of Community Revitalization to rehabilitate the old YWCA in Hamilton to create 31 “income restricted” units was also pulled, because a developer is interested in purchasing the historic property. That leaves $1.1 million in applications for $856,804 in HOME Investment Partnerships Program money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The county receives these federal funds annually and this year they are veering off the traditional path they’ve taken, which was to have a committee — which is comprised of representatives from the Development Department, Job and Family Services, the county engineer and Water & Sewer — make recommendations. The commissioners have not always followed the recommendations.
County Administrator Judi Boyko said since Ellerhorst is new she told her not to just ”perpetuate a process” but “really get in there and identify, look at it, assess and review it and introduce suggestions that make it better.”
“The county is continuously trying to improve its processes, really be more productive and effective for the community,” Boyko said. “The Community Development Block Grant allocation is no different. With the change in staff we had a great opportunity to look at this process.”
She said they were already too far along in 2022 CDBG calendar to institute something new so they decided to just let the commissioners take their pick.
With the College Corner water meter project off the table the most expensive request is $267,750 by the village of Millville for a safe water program. According to the application by Village Clerk Holly Todd the grant would allow them to connect 45 households — about 150 people — to the Southwest Regional Water District.
“With issues from water runoff; light industrial zoning now within the village and the amount of bacteria and rust in wells of households, assisting with the ability to get clean water has become a priority,” she wrote.
On the HOME front the largest request is $355,150, also from the CCR to build 12 affordable housing cottages in Oxford.
“For years city council has championed the development of new housing solutions to meet the need and Oxford Cottage Community is the first of many projects intended to address the lack of affordable housing in the city of Oxford,” CCR President and CEO Mindy Muller wrote.
There were 16 requests that are infrastructure type projects like sidewalks, storm sewer repair, drainage, paving and others for CDBG funding. Then there are the standard requests like the annual $25,000 contribution to the county RTA for the job connector shuttle and emergency home repair and improvement programs for Supports to Encourage Low-income Families (SELF).
The county is required to give Middletown 36% of the HOME dollars because the city doesn’t receive its own federal allocation, so $313,000 will go there. Similarly, Fairfield and Oxford will receive $131,300 each in CDBG dollars for a sidewalk project and site improvements College@Elm Innovation & Workforce Development Center respectively.
Other than the request for Oxford cottages the commissioners received a $100,000 request from Habitat for Humanity to build two new homes in their Reckford Woods subdivision in Oxford. Neighborhood Housing Services wants $295,000 total for its down payment assistance program and to purchase and rehab two vacant or foreclosed homes for LMI families.
Commissioner Cindy Carpenter said she recently met with leaders from several jurisdictions in the county to discuss where the affordable housing gaps are countywide. She said they need to dig further before they choose where to award the HOME funding.
“What are the gaps. I’m not sure what to vote for on housing that will make a difference,” Carpenter said. “I think we need to continue to have these discussions with the folks countywide like I did a few weeks ago, and clearly understand where the gaps are.”
The county’s development Director David Fehr said they would like to have a final decision from the commissioners by April 11 because the HUD program year begins May 1, “we tend to like to get our hands on the money as soon as its available so we can then turn around and get it out to the community.”
TOP DISTRIBUTIONS
The county likes to spread the federal funding out so the same communities are reaping all the awards. These are the top dollar amounts distributed over the past five years:
1. Butler County Care Facility: $890,000
2. Hamilton YWCA: $448,000
3. SELF: $320,000
4. Fairfield Twp.: $235,000
5. St. Clair Twp.: $200,000
6. Milford Twp.: $190,000
7. New Miami: $173,000
8. Ross Twp.: $164,000
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