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Ideas needed for HUD block grants
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Posted on May 31 2005
The Northern Marianas Housing Corp. is soliciting ideas from the community for development projects that may be funded using federal grant funds.
NMHC, which facilitates the Community Development Block Grant program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will be holding public hearings in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota starting today.
According to NMHC planner and grant writer Robert J. Trianni, some $1.2 million in grant funds is available for 2005 projects. This is about the average amount that the CNMI has been receiving under the program for the past four or five years, Trianni said.
“Citizen participation is a very important part of the Community Development Block Grant program. We have to hold public hearings to get an idea from the community what kind of projects they are interested in us funding,” Trianni said.
As part of the program’s process, NMHC will select from the suggestions before forwarding it to the Governor’s Office and then the HUD for approval.
The first public hearing will be held at 6:30pm today at the Northern Marianas College campus in Rota.
Tinian residents will be given the opportunity to offer their suggestions at 6:30pm tomorrow, Thursday, at the Tinian Youth Center.
The public hearing on Saipan will be held on June 3, Friday, 6:30pm at the NMHC main office in Garapan.
Among the projects funded using the 2004 CDBG funds were the planned performing arts center at Sugar King Park and the independent living transitional model home on Saipan; the second phase of Tinian’s public library, and Rota’s baseball and softball field.
