Funds will construct affordable housing units, community infrastructure improvements in Bellingham, Milford, Southbridge and Webster

July 8, 2010 ... Four towns in the Worcester & Norfolk District, represented by Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, have been awarded a total of $3,574,877 in Community Development Block Grants (CDGB) from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Block Grants, which are annually awarded by the Governor, fund infrastructure improvement projects, boost social services and increase housing and business development opportunities. The communities awarded in Sen. Moore’s district are Bellingham, Milford, Southbridge and Webster.

“A continued partnership between state and local governments has sustained these communities’ exemplary commitment to revitalizing and renovating affordable housing units, enhancing infrastructure, and developing local economies,” said Sen. Moore. “I congratulate local officials for their vision in rejuvenating Prospect Heights in Milford, Wrentham Manor in Bellingham, downtown Southbridge, and the French River Park and downtown in Webster, and applaud officials’ efforts in securing these vital Block Grant funds for yet another successful year in the community development initiatives of each respective town,” Moore added. 

“These grants will help communities get to work on a variety of projects that will make a real difference in people's lives and our Commonwealth stronger in the long run,” said Governor Deval Patrick, during the grant’s announcement in the Milford Town Hall. “Whether they are used to spruce up homes or storefronts, better public services, or replace streets and sidewalks, these funds will generate jobs and make neighborhoods better places to live, work and conduct business.”

“These grants will be a relief for communities during these tight fiscal times by allowing them to take vital neighborhood improvement projects off the drawing board and make them a reality,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray.

The allocations for Sen. Moore’s communities are as follows:

Bellingham – $800,515 – Rehabilitation funds for 18 housing units in Wrentham Manor. The renovated housing units will be available for low to moderate-income residents.

Milford - $934,291 – Rehabilitation funds for three housing units in Milford’s historic Prospect Heights neighborhood. The funds will also be used for sidewalk and drainage improvements at the Heights.

Southbridge – $840,071 – Funds for the redesign and traffic study of downtown Southbridge. The grant will also be allocated for the construction of sidewalks on Henry Street. Additionally, a homelessness prevention study will be commenced, with the construction of seven affordable housing units downtown.

Webster - $1,000,000 – Six storefront improvements in downtown Webster are set to revitalize commerce in the area. In addition to the commercial developments, funds have been allocated for the construction of the French River Park along the French River in Webster. 

Particularly special to Sen. Moore, the French River Park project in Webster has been an initiative that the veteran legislator has been devoted to since he was able to secure funding, as a State Representative, for the first French River Corridor Study. Moore has been a key contributor over the past 15 plus years to the development of the French River Park project, and the creation of the French River Connection, an organization dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the French River. In addition to supporting similar developments to the French River Park that has now been funded through CDGB, Sen. Moore has secured and been part of the development of similar recreation projects along the river in the towns of Dudley and Oxford.

The CDBG program is the Commonwealth's largest available resource providing municipalities with funding to support neighborhood revitalization projects, meet the housing and public service needs of low and moderate-income populations and build and repair infrastructure vital to the health and safety of all residents. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and funds are distributed by the state Department of Housing and Community Development to cities and towns in Massachusetts with populations of less than 50,000.

“The popularity and importance of the Community Development Block Grant program cannot be overstated. Cities and towns in Massachusetts depend on this federal assistance each year for economic development, infrastructure improvement and improved housing. As a former Mayor, I know firsthand how this program can dramatically change the quality of life for residents of a community,” said Congressman Richard E. Neal, MA-2.

Eligible communities with populations greater than 50,000 receive program funding directly from HUD Communities may apply for CDBG funding for activities including: housing rehabilitation projects, infrastructure repair or replacement, construction or rehabilitation of public facilities, neighborhood improvement projects, economic development loans and other business assistance programs, social service upgrades, downtown improvement projects, architectural barrier removal and planning. The maximum grant for a single community is $800,000 or $1 million for a single community undertaking multiple, geographically targeted activities. Regional applications are accepted.

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