$865,000 block grant to aid first time home buyers, city agencies

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$865,000 block grant to aid first home buyers, agencies

Mark Zaretsky, Register Staff

April 21, 2001

WEST HAVEN — A number of programs and services will benefit from $865,000 in federal community development block grants the city will disburse, Community Development Manager Ralph Paolillo said.

The $865,000 figure, which represents federal funds funneled to the city by the state, is a 5 percent increase over last year and represents the largest total West Haven ever has received, Paolillo said.

The money must be used to aid low- and moderate-income census tracts within the city, he said.

This year’s block grant allocation, recently approved by the City Council, includes $190,000 to continue the city’s down payment assistance program for first-time home buyers, $190,000 for housing rehabilitation and $56,000 for business façade improvements.

It also includes $45,000 for lead-paint hazard reduction, $20,000 to paint Housing Authority apartments and $25,000 to install wheelchair ramps at intersections and remove other barriers for people with disabilities, according to Community Development Administration figures.

New recipients this year include the American Red Cross, which will get $3,500 for emergency assistance, and the Teen Spot drop-in center in the Johnson Community Center, which will receive $3,000, Paolillo said.

The West Haven Community House will receive three grants: $30,000 for playground renovation and expansion and $25,000 each for its Head Start and Enrichment programs.

Other social service grants include $17,000 for the West Haven Emergency Assistance Task Force, $16,000 for the West Haven Adult Day Center, $12,500 for the West Haven Child Development Center and $8,500 for Domestic Violence Services.

Additional grants include $7,000 for the Clifford Beers satellite clinic, $5,500 for West Haven police crime prevention activities, $5,500 for the Achieving the Dream after-school program at Carrigan Middle School, and $5,000 for New Haven Legal Assistance.

Other social service grants include $4,624 for West Haven Family and Youth Services, $4,500 for the Twelve Step Club and $3,836 for the West Haven Health Center.

The city’s three independent fire departments each will receive $20,000, Paolillo said.

The Allingtown Fire Department plans to use its money to replace the exhaust system and remove an underground oil tank at the Minor Park firehouse, Paolillo said. The West Haven Fire Department hopes to buy four portable defibrillators, some self-contained breathing apparatus and some laptop computers. The West Shore Fire Department plans to make improvements at the Benham Hill fire station, Paolillo said.

The city Public Works Department will receive $8,000 to plant trees along public right-of-ways in some areas.