Contact: Karen Hawes, Lee County Human Services

(941) 656-7930

LEE’S CDBG/HOME PROGRAMS ARE EFFECTIVE, ACCORDING TO FEDS

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 10, 2000) – A recent Federal government review of Lee County’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) spending and HOME (Home Investment Partnership) Program has found the county is meeting its objectives in providing benefits to low- and moderate-income residents.

The Annual Community Assessment by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development “commended” the county for “expending 89.59% of its CDBG funds on activities benefiting low or moderate income persons. This performance far exceeds departmental standards.”

In addition, HUD determined that the county “achieved its objective of providing affordable housing by assisting 108 extremely low-income families with housing through first time homebuyer assistance.” The assessment period was for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1999. Lee County has received $19.1 million of CDBG funds since 1990 and $4 million of HOME funds since 1992.

The HOME Program is the largest Federal block grant to state and local governments and is designed to create affordable housing for low-income households. Each year it allocates more than $1 billion among the states and hundreds of localities nationwide.

The CDBG Program provides eligible metropolitan cities and urban counties (called “entitlement communities”) with annual direct grants that they can use to revitalize neighborhoods, expand affordable housing and economic opportunities, and/or improve community facilities and services, principally to benefit low- and moderate-income persons. Some of the accomplishments for both programs in 1999:

§ HOME funds were used to rehabilitate 23 single-family homes.

§ Under the Direct Homeownership Assistance Program, the county provided assistance to 108 homebuyers.

§ Through the Neighborhood District Program, the county has allocated CDBG funds for infrastructure improvements in Dunbar, Pine Manor, Page Park, Harlem Heights and Charleston Park.

§ Lee County has invested $200,000 of general fund money to assist Habitat for Humanity to purchase buildings on Gladiolus Drive in Harlem Heights for rehabilitation into new commercial businesses.

§ The county has been successful in developing partnerships with private sector, non-profit organizations and other governmental entities. For example, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity, Dunbar Industrial Action Development and the Lee County Housing Development Corporation, 292 homes were provided homebuyers.

§ Human Services’ Office of Neighborhood Planning did not receive any citizen complaints during the reporting period.

To find out more about Human Services’ Community Development and Housing programs, call 656-7900.