Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Planning Grant topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Westmoreland County explores $100,000 planning grant for countywide housing assessment
Summary
County consultants told supervisors a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant planning award could fund a countywide housing assessment to identify substandard units, prioritize neighborhoods and prepare applications for implementation grants of roughly $800,000–$1.25 million. Residents urged fast action on roads and drainage.
Westmoreland County supervisors heard a presentation and lengthy public comment Tuesday night on pursuing a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant planning award to fund a countywide housing assessment.
Mister Davis, the presenter on the county housing assessment, told the board the planning grant round is open and "the planning grant process is open right now" and the county should "get it in" before the November 15 deadline. He outlined the planning grant purpose: a management team would identify potentially substandard housing across the county, perform a windshield survey, then follow up with individual housing inspections and gather financial information to verify low- and moderate-income eligibility.
The planning grant requires documentation so an implementation application can move quickly if funded, Davis said, and estimated typical implementation grants range from roughly $800,000 for housing-rehab-only projects up to about $1,250,000 for comprehensive projects that include roads, water or stormwater work.
Residents who live in the area that sparked the discussion urged supervisors to prioritize drainage and emergency access. Linda Gordon Shade said of her road, "I get all the water from all the rest of the homes," and Cynthia Corbin warned the board to "think of life and death" because slow access could affect rescue squads and school buses.
Mary Johnson told the meeting she had expected earlier steps to have already been completed and said residents were concerned about perceived delays; county staff clarified that prior assessments identified units but that the planning grant is the formal next step to document needs and prepare implementation-ready applications. Mr. Davis confirmed the planning grant requires no local match.
Supervisor McCormick and other board members said they would use this public meeting and the management-team meeting to document community support before formally voting to authorize the application. The board did not take a final vote on the planning application at the work session; officials said they would move to prepare and submit the planning grant packet immediately after the meeting.
Next steps: form a management team, document public support in minutes, complete the countywide assessment and submit the planning grant application before the stated November 15 deadline.
