From Harford County government:
The Community Development Division of Harford County’s Department of Community Services hosted an event on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
“The event was titled Building Stronger Communities TOGETHER because that is truly what we are doing here in Harford County,” says Community Development Administrator, Tiffany Robinson.
The event honored 25 community organizations for partnering with Harford County in utilizing Federal grant funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support and improve the community. The honorees received a community development award and a proclamation from the Harford County Council. Harford County Council Vice President, Richard Slutzky, shared meaningful words of appreciation for the positive changes the organizations have made in Harford County.
A touching video montage highlighted projects such as the construction of activity centers and parks, replacement of public infrastructure, rehabilitation of homeowner housing, job creation for low to moderate income individuals and construction of affordable senior and family housing. HUD’s Baltimore Field Office Director, Charles Halm, gave the keynote address at the event, commending the unique partnership between Harford County and its three municipalities and recognizing the Community Development Division’s resourcefulness in utilizing HUD funding to leverage private investment in Harford County.
Councilman Richard Slutzky and Charles Halm both received honorary community development awards from the Community Development Administrator, Tiffany Robinson, and Mr. Halm also received a Harford County Council Proclamation.
The Federal funding made available to community organizations in Harford County for these types of projects comes from HUD’s CDBG and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) Programs. The Housing and Community Development Act established the CDBG Program. President Gerald Ford signed it into law in 1974. The Cranston-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act established the HOME Program, which President George H. W. Bush signed into law in 1990. Harford County became eligible for both CDBG and HOME funding in 1997. Since that time, the County has received almost $31 million from these two programs, including $21,756,843 in CDBG and $9,089,222 in HOME.
The grant application round for CDBG and HOME funding is open annually from January to February through the Department of Community Services’ Community Development Division. For more information, contact the Community Development Administrator, Tiffany Robinson at 410-638-3389 or tprobinson@harfordcountymd.gov.
For all the good work they do and that’s to be commended HUD in large measure drives poverty and crime in otherwise safe areas by requiring public housing in exchange for qualifying for “free” money. There is no instance in which property values increase anywhere near these planned “free” communities.