Over the next month, from June 9 to July 10, residents of Covington, Kentucky have the opportunity to provide input on the allocation of approximately $2 million in federal funds dedicated to housing and community development. These funds are expected annual allocations from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME federal grant programs provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Drafts available for public comment include the one-year Annual Action Plan for the CDBG and HOME Program as well as the Five-Year Strategic Plan, which outlines long-term goals updated every five years. Jeremy Wallace, the City’s Federal Grants Manager, stated: “The Annual Action Plan and Five-Year Strategic Plan are our guide to investing these federal funds to both make people’s lives better and strengthen our neighborhoods.”
A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, just before a City Commission meeting. Residents can submit written comments via email to jwallace@covingtonky.gov or contact Wallace at (859) 292-2147.
The Community Development Block Grant program targets services primarily in low- and moderate-income areas including infrastructure improvements, crime prevention, economic development, and early literacy programs. This year’s CDBG funding totals $1,409,780.
Covington is part of a consortium with several other cities for spending under the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The consortium includes Ludlow, Newport, Bellevue, Dayton, Erlanger, Florence, and Independence. The HOME budget allocates $672,734.30 for various housing-related initiatives such as forgivable loans for homebuyers and creating new affordable housing units.
