WESTFIELD – Diana McLean sat in a City Hall conference room organizing a PowerPoint presentation Wednesday morning, preparing to explain the outlook for the city’s five-year action plan regarding the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
For four years, McLean has been the city’s coordinator for the CDBG, a federal program issued through the Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) whose goal is to develop viable urban communities through improved housing, living environments and economic development opportunities.
“Job creation and workforce development is something I would like to see the focus be for the next five years,” said McLean.
McLean welcomed several members of the city’s non-profit community public service organizations who apply for funding annually to lay out the situation for them going forward.
In attendance for the first of two public hearings Wednesday included Bill Parks of the Greater Westfield Boys and Girls Club, Wendy Lane Wright of the Carson Center and Allan Ouimet of Highland Valley Elder Services, all organizations which have received funding in the past.
Representatives for the city of Westfield and the school department were also on hand.
“I expect the funding level to be about the same as it has been in the past,” said McLean, who said that the city has suffered a 21 percent funding drop ever since the federal government revisited and altered the CDBG formula.
McLean explained that the purpose of the hearing was to receive feedback from organizations who apply for CDBG funding annually. In order to receive funds, an organization must meet one of three national objectives – they must provide a benefit to low moderate income persons, prevent or eliminate slums/blights or meet an urgent community need.
McLean added that 99 percent of the time, the city’s CDBG focus is on project’s that meet the first objective.
Specific activities that are eligible for CDBG funding under federal law include the acquisition, disposition, public facilities and improvements, public services, microenterprise assistance, special economic development, clearance activies and urban renewal completion.
“Because we do some economic development programs and projects, people think we’re like a small business loan or program,” said McLean. “But we only support micro-enterprises and small businesses if they’re a benefit to low income individuals.”
McLean took the opportunity to inform those in attendance that January 16, 2015 is the deadline for organizations to submit proposals for CDBG funds.
According to HUD, the city’s funding allocation for fiscal year 2014-2015 is $333,006, with a projected program income of $20,000 – acquired through loan payments from organizations involved with the CDBG – for a total of $353,006.
Of this money, 65 percent (about $229,450) goes toward non-public services, while 20 percent ($70,600) is set aside for planning and administration, leaving 15 percent – roughly $52,950 – for what McLean refers to as a public services cap, to be distributed amongst CDBG applicants.
“It’s really tough because you guys are all fighting for that lump of money,” said McLean before listing off over 10 services provided by local non-profits. “Job creation is in the non-public services. Economic development, public facility, those are in the (65 percent).”
McLean also took the time to walk those in attendance through the ways they can strengthen their proposal for funding.
“The more information you can give me, it helps me,” she said. “We have a computer database, so it is asking me very specifically: ‘how many people did you help?’ ‘What percent are they, low income? Very low income?’ ‘What’s their ethnic makeup?'”
“When you do your quarterly reports, that information is really needed for our database,” she said before stressing “SMART Goals”, an acronym for “Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timebound” and adding that not just any organization can come forward and apply.
“If a non-profit that has been in existence for the past 10 years comes forward, they can’t just decide they want CDBG funds. They have to show that there’s an increased demand for their program,” said McLean.
“I’m pleased with the turnout. Sometimes nobody shows up or we get one or two,” said McLean at the hearing’s adjournment. “This is the first time we’ve used a PowerPoint to really go over the background. It was good to kind of stop and regroup and let them know where our funding sources come from. It kills us to have that 15 percent cap.”
Parks told McLean that the Boys and Girls Club is hoping to use CDBG funds to implement a staff position to manage meals programs.
“We served 25,000 meals last summer and then about 160 to 200 dinners every night during the school year, with a snack and beverage to 250/300 a day,” said Parks. “Having a staff that can maintain that (program) and maybe expand our summer program, because there are more sites we could be at…”
“Right now, I have four trucks going in all different directions, because we have seven locations that serve within an hour, two hour, timespan,” he said. “Right now, we’re doing everything with part-timers and I could use one full-time position to oversee it all.”
McLean also mentioned Community Development Week, held in April of each year, when local public service NPO’s are encouraged to write to state and federal legislators regarding decreases in funding.
“It’s all about saying ‘We need more funds’,” she said. “Last year was the first year we had an open house for Community Development Week because it’s all about telling our story.”
“The work that these groups do in Westfield is amazing,” she said.
