Posted: 3:46 p.m.Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016

Butler County accepting federal grant applications

ByDenise G. Callahan

Staff Writer

BUTLER COUNTY — 

It’stime once again for Butler County communities toapply for Community Development Block Grant funds and HOME grants for projectsin the low-to-moderate income areas of the county.

CommunityDevelopment Manager Desmond Maaytah hasn’t received budget figures from theU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but he is expecting thecounty will be able to dole out about $1.1 million in CDBG grants and almost$600,000 in HOME funds.

“CDBGand HOME funds go to assist LMI (low-to-moderate income) areas, persons,eliminate slums and blight and assist limited clientele people, such ashomeless and disabled in Butler County,” Maaytah said.“The commissioners have assisted thousands of LMI persons in many areas of thecounty since 1999 with these programs.”

Thecommissioners will have the final say in which projects get approved forfunding and he has sent application packets to 100 organizations in the countythat have expressed interest in the past.

“Wedo this every year , we think we evaluate the projects prudently,” CommissionerT.C. Rogers said. “And like the old phrase says, we want to get the most bangfor the buck.”

Thefunds are to be used in low and moderate income areas, like New Miami, wherethe commissioners sent $40,000 in CDBG funds to the village so it could installa pressure reducing valve ontheir brand new $1 million water tower that had been sitting dormant since2009.

The largest CDBG project this year wasfor $248,000 for South Main Streetroad improvements in Lemon Twp. and $200,000 worth of home down paymentassistance for Middletown,which is in a consortium with the county for the federal programs.

The commissioners also approved$125,000 in St. Clair Twp. tohelp about 100 residents of the Williamsdale subdivision hook up to the newsewer system.

Thedeadline for applications is Nov. 3 and Maaytah said the commissioners willmake their picks sometime in January.