2008 Woodie Awards
CDBG money could go to Hillsdale
Hudson expresses concerns about entire allotment going to one district
Derek Bagley
Senior Reporter
Issue date: 2/26/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
The Mobile City Council could soon vote to appropriate more than $760,000 in unallocated Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to help facilitate the Hillsdale revitalization effort.
The federal funds would be used to assist DASH for the Gulf Coast, the nonprofit organization that has taken on the task of remodeling 24 homes and building 240 more in the Hillsdale community.
DASH will build and remodel houses that will range from $80,000 to $150,000. Mobile City Councilwoman Gina Gregory said the City Council will also work to improve amenities in that area, such as the recreation center and the ballpark.
The City Council's entitlement committee recommended this year that the unallocated funds all go to one city district. Gregory asked for the bulk of that money to go to Hillsdale, which is located within her district.
Gregory said the entitlement committee made the decision in order to increase the impact in one area each year, rather than dividing the funds up among many districts.
"It [would be] about $150,000 [for each district]," Gregory said. "It's not a whole lot when you start looking at how much it costs just to resurface a road or to do anything."
On Jan. 30, a City Council committee voted 3-0 to earmark the CDBG funds to Hillsdale, but it will take five council members to secure the funds.
"I wish I could say I have unanimous support for this," Gregory said. "I do have unanimous support on revitalizing Hillsdale. Nobody's against that. However, there will be some opposition to putting all of the unallocated funds into only one district, because those districts won't get any money this year."
Mobile City Councilwoman Connie Hudson said she has some concerns about allocating all the money to one city district.
"There's eligibility [for receiving the funds] throughout the city of Mobile," Hudson said. "It's not just within the districts that have census tracts that meet low-to-moderate-income qualifications. There are other eligibility requirements that the city has never viewed."
The federal funds would be used to assist DASH for the Gulf Coast, the nonprofit organization that has taken on the task of remodeling 24 homes and building 240 more in the Hillsdale community.
DASH will build and remodel houses that will range from $80,000 to $150,000. Mobile City Councilwoman Gina Gregory said the City Council will also work to improve amenities in that area, such as the recreation center and the ballpark.
The City Council's entitlement committee recommended this year that the unallocated funds all go to one city district. Gregory asked for the bulk of that money to go to Hillsdale, which is located within her district.
Gregory said the entitlement committee made the decision in order to increase the impact in one area each year, rather than dividing the funds up among many districts.
"It [would be] about $150,000 [for each district]," Gregory said. "It's not a whole lot when you start looking at how much it costs just to resurface a road or to do anything."
On Jan. 30, a City Council committee voted 3-0 to earmark the CDBG funds to Hillsdale, but it will take five council members to secure the funds.
"I wish I could say I have unanimous support for this," Gregory said. "I do have unanimous support on revitalizing Hillsdale. Nobody's against that. However, there will be some opposition to putting all of the unallocated funds into only one district, because those districts won't get any money this year."
Mobile City Councilwoman Connie Hudson said she has some concerns about allocating all the money to one city district.
"There's eligibility [for receiving the funds] throughout the city of Mobile," Hudson said. "It's not just within the districts that have census tracts that meet low-to-moderate-income qualifications. There are other eligibility requirements that the city has never viewed."
Be the first to comment on this story