Amherst is one of 10 communities in the state designated as a mini-entitlement community as part of the Community Development Block Grant program.
Amherst Town HallAMHERST – The Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee has come up with recommendations for how to spend $900,000 in block grant money and will be presenting those choices at a public hearing Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. in Town Hall.
Town officials and social service agencies submitted $1.4 million in funding requests for the $900,000. The available money is down $100,000 from what officials had expected because of federal cuts.
Amherst is one of 10 communities in the state designated as a mini-entitlement community as part of the Community Development Block Grant program.
Greenfield and West Springfield are also eligible for mini-entitlement funding.
Amherst received $1 million this current year.
The advisory committee will ultimately make recommendations to the Town Manager who makes the decision on what to apply for. The town can spend 20 percent of the money on social service programming and 60 percent on non-social service programs. The remainder of the money is used for administrative costs.
Town officials had applied for $375,000 to resurface roads and sidewalks to make travel more accessible for bicyclists and pedestrians and barrier removal on Main Street between South Whitney and Triangle streets.
Last year, the town used $375,000 for similar infrastructure improvements along Main Street. The funding request is not on the committee’s priority list.
The committee is recommending that $228,000 be used to buy property for affordable housing. Officials had requested $250,000. The committee is also recommending the $240,000 be used to
replace the roof and heating and cooling system at the Amherst Community Childcare Center on Strong Street among its requests Officials had requested $260,000.
Among the requests for social service funding, the committee is recommending that
$90,500 be used to operate an emergency shelter for 2012 to 2103,
$17,500 for emergency fuel and rental assistance, and $25,000 for the Amherst Survival Center food pantry.
Other projects may be identified and discussed at the public hearing.
The application is due Dec. 16.