Contact: Sharyn Wisniewski, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823
Affordable housing projects are a high priority
Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk today announced that Dane County is now accepting applications for spending $2 million in federal Community Development Block Grant ($1.3 million) HOME ($600,000), and American Downpayment Dream Initiative, ($100,000) funds on projects that increase affordable housing, revitalize communities and create jobs, and provide services to the elderly, families and youth.
“We want to hear from organizations who have wonderful ideas on how to best reach our goals in housing, economic development and human services in a cost-effective way,” said Falk.
County Executive Falk took steps in 1998 to apply to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to become an “Urban County” eligible to receive annual HUD funding. Thirty four towns, 11 villages and six cities in the county now form the urban county consortium.
“We’re determined to make home ownership and rental housing affordable to working families in Dane County,” said Falk. “It is also smart economic development policy to keep a workforce here for our growing Dane County economy.”
Funding priorities for the HOME funds include:
· Homebuyer assistance programs
· Housing rehabilitation – owner and renter
· Development of owner or renter infill housing using Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) principles
· Infill housing identified in the county’s Better Urban Infill Development plan
- Projects that leverage additional sources of funding
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Funding priorities for the county’s CDBG funds include:
- Homebuyer assistance programs
- Single-family housing rehabilitation
- Affordable housing land acquisition
- Homeless services and other public services
- Downtown commercial façade improvements
- Small business development
- Commercial loans
- Youth and Senior Centers.
All of the projects must be located in municipalities that participate in Dane County’s Urban County consortium. The participating communities are:
Towns: Albion, Berry, Black Earth, Blooming Grove, Blue Mounds, Bristol, Burke, Christiana, Cottage Grove, Cross Plains, Dane, Deerfield, Dunkirk, Dunn, Madison, Mazomanie, Medina, Middleton, Montrose, Oregon, Perry, Pleasant Springs, Primrose, Roxbury, Rutland, Springdale, Springfield, Sun Prairie, Vermont, Verona, Vienna, Westport, Windsor, York.
Villages: Black Earth, Blue Mounds, Cambridge, Cross Plains, Deerfield, McFarland, Marshall, Mount Horeb, Oregon, Shorewood Hills, Waunakee.
Cities: Fitchburg, Middleton, Monona, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Verona
For the first time, the County CDBG / HOME program is participating in a joint application process with the City of Madison (CDBG Office and Community Services), United Way and the Dane County Department of Human Services. The purpose for the joint application is to streamline the process so agencies only have to submit one application.
Copies of the application form can be obtained from the County’s website: www.countyofdane.com/plandev/cdbg/how_to_apply.htm. The deadline for applying is 12 noon on Friday, June 11, 2004. Preliminary funding recommendations will be made by the CDBG Commission in early September 2004, and will then be considered by the Dane County Board of Supervisors and their committees. Funding, if approved, will be for the grant year running from January 1 through December 31, 2005.
