Township Awards $71,500 in Grant Monies to Senior Program, St. Vincent de Paul

Once again, trustees have made The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and township senior program the primary recipients of community development block grants.

For each fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development allocates CDBG monies for distribution at the county level. In Macomb County, these funds are distributed through Community Development Services of the Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development. From here, each community is given a lump sum to allocate to programs and projects that benefit low- and moderate-income individuals in their area.

For 2012, Macomb Township received $71,500 in CDBG monies, but had made by local organizations and projects.

On Wednesday, the board voted unanimously to approve the following recomendations for distribution made by Trustee Janet Dunn:

• That the township divide the $7,080 available to public service programs equally between The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Macomb Township senior program ($3,540 each)
• That the township deny the $12,155 request for planning activities. By denying this request, no additional funds are removed from the $60,775 available for brick and mortar projects.
• That the township award the total $60,775 available for brick and mortar projects to fund renovations of the township's .

Although only $7,080 could be awarded to public service programs, organizations like MCREST, Care House, Samaritan House and Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan made a total of $42,846 in requests.

"All of these applicants are worthy of these funds," Dunn said. "It is, however, the objective of this board, for many, many years, to allocate these funds within the Township of Macomb where we can keep a watchful eye on them ... (and ensure the) monies are spent where they are intended to go."

St. Vincent de Paul and the township senior program were the primary recipients of the township's 2011 CDBG funds as well.

Under instructions from the county, Macomb Township must also reserve $27,412.50 to make a one-time set of emergency repairs to approximately 10 deteriorating properties owned and occupied by low-income families in the township.

The Macomb County Housing Rehabilitation staff will administer these funds, which can only be used on repairs and not the construction of new housing.