The first hearing will be held Wednesday to look at the 2012 community development grant.
AMHERST - Town officials will be holding two public hearings to talk about block grant money, the first to hear comments about strategy for 2012 and the second to talk about unspent money from 2009.
On Wednesday the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee and the Planning Board is holding a hearing at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall to hear comments and suggestions from residents regarding the 2012 Community Development Strategy.
The town is eligible again for up to $1 million in money in the so-called mini-entitlement grant component of the block grant program.
The money is given to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which in turn distributes it to eligible communities for qualifying programs.
The grant money has to be used for housing, community development projects and social service activities that help low- and moderate-income people. The strategy is a requirement for the town’s application for funding and helps determine the priority projects and activities to be undertaken by the town and the priority target areas and neighborhoods where projects take place.
The town, meanwhile, has $75,000 remaining from a 2009 grant and wants to hear suggestions about how that money should be spent. That hearing is slated for Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
Officials have been talking about combining funds with other sources to buy property for affordable housing; funding for pre-development of the 42 affordable units at Olympia Oaks; conducting a feasibility study that would look at converting the North Amherst School into a permanent shelter or enhanced single room occupancy housing, funding for design and predevelopment of the proposed new Amherst Survival Center and removing the barrier at the playground at Crocker Farm Elementary School.
The Survival Center has purchased the former Rooster’s Restaurant and is in the quiet phase of fund-raising. It is currently now located at the North Amherst School.