Frederick will be receiving a $430,109 Community Development Block Grant.
Washington DC (KM) Federal funding totaling $6.6-million will be distributed to communities in Maryland. The money comes from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to help create more affordable housing.
The cash is coming in the form of Community Development Block Grants, Emergency Solutions Grants at the HOME program.
Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md) says this funding comes with no strings attached. “The philosophy here is that the local officials know best as to how to meet the needs of affordable housing in their community ,” he says.
The City of Frederick will be receiving a $430,109 Community Development Block Grant. “It’s our understanding that the $400,000 that’s been awarded will be used to help senior housing, will help some of the homeless population, will provide safe childcare arrangements for working families,” says Senator Cardin.
Other cities receiving block grants include Hagerstown, which is getting $771,222, and Cumberland, which receive $789,841.
The Community Development Block Grant program provides grants to state and local governments to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and expanding economic opportunities, particularly for the low and moderate income population
The Emergency Solutions Grants provides funds to local communities in the form of giants to assist people in quickly regaining stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. Anne Arundel County received $166,664 in new funding under the ESG.
The HOME program helps expand the supply of decent, affordable housing to low and very low income families by providing grants to state and local governments to fund housing programs that meet local needs and priorities.
Senator Cardin says all those programs are used to help create more affordable housing, which is an important issue in many communities across Maryland. “We know it’s more and more challenging to find affordable for the population,” Cardin says. “Many reasons for that: the shortage of housing; the high cost of construction; the fact that you have vulnerable populations; we have demographic changes in America, older populations.”
By Kevin McManus