Loss of housing grants would affect Medina
Proposed federal tax budget calls for elimination of CDBG funding program
Jonathan Mendel
MEDINA – Some grant funding filtered from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development down to the states and then to local communities could be in jeopardy, should the currently-proposed federal tax budget be approved.
Suggested for elimination in the budget is the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs and infrastructure development.
By way of the state of Ohio, Medina has sought and received a steady stream of these funds since the late 1980s to help combat low- to moderate-income neighborhood degradation through beefing up code enforcement; assistance in private property repairs; helping offset the salaries and benefits for Sandy Davis, the city’s grant writer who seeks the funds, and the building inspector, Dan Gladish; and helping offset the cost of Medina County Public Transit for elderly and disabled residents.
“If we didn’t have access to these dollars, for some period of time, we wouldn’t be able to help people with emergency repairs to their property, or, for instance, help someone without a working furnace in their house in January,” Medina Community Development Director Jonathan Mendel said. “It’s an important part of the functioning of the city.”
Mendel was concerned loss of the CDBG funds – of which the city in recent years has received about $300,000-$400,000 annually – could eventually result in local tax hikes further down the road.
“Our income tax, in comparison to other communities in Ohio, is pretty low,” Mendel said of the 1.25 percent rate. “One of the ways we keep that low is accessing these grant programs, these state and federal dollars. The cumulative outcome cold be asking for a quarter-percent increase. Everything is interconnected.”
More commonly applied for by governments serving larger urban centers, Medina has received significant CDBG monies over the last few years. In 2014, the city received $400,000 in CDBG funding used for structural facade improvements, audible traffic signals, ADA-compliant curb ramp upgrades and the reconstruction of Foundry Street.
Mendel said CDBG dollars also help leverage private property owners in keeping up with maintenance.
“The downtown revitalization program we had between 2014 and 2016 was also funded from CDBG funds from the state,” Mendel said. “That was a direct benefit that leveraged significant money from private property owners ... another $150,000 or so.”
Since 2004, the city has been awarded over $4.6 million in CDBG and Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) funding, which has been leveraged with approximately $1 million in additional city funds to “benefit our low income areas and improve our city’s quality of life.”
The city also annually receives an additional $400,000 in CHIP funds, another HUD program that could possibly be affected in the proposed budget or down the road. That grant, $800,000, is applied for jointly and split with the city of Brunswick, but managed by Medina, and focuses mostly on private property rehabilitation.
“(The funds) help mitigate negative perceptions of certain neighborhoods in their city,” Mendel said. “The exterior management of a property is important in getting over that perception.”
Suggested for elimination in the budget is the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs and infrastructure development.
By way of the state of Ohio, Medina has sought and received a steady stream of these funds since the late 1980s to help combat low- to moderate-income neighborhood degradation through beefing up code enforcement; assistance in private property repairs; helping offset the salaries and benefits for Sandy Davis, the city’s grant writer who seeks the funds, and the building inspector, Dan Gladish; and helping offset the cost of Medina County Public Transit for elderly and disabled residents.
“If we didn’t have access to these dollars, for some period of time, we wouldn’t be able to help people with emergency repairs to their property, or, for instance, help someone without a working furnace in their house in January,” Medina Community Development Director Jonathan Mendel said. “It’s an important part of the functioning of the city.”
Mendel was concerned loss of the CDBG funds – of which the city in recent years has received about $300,000-$400,000 annually – could eventually result in local tax hikes further down the road.
“Our income tax, in comparison to other communities in Ohio, is pretty low,” Mendel said of the 1.25 percent rate. “One of the ways we keep that low is accessing these grant programs, these state and federal dollars. The cumulative outcome cold be asking for a quarter-percent increase. Everything is interconnected.”
More commonly applied for by governments serving larger urban centers, Medina has received significant CDBG monies over the last few years. In 2014, the city received $400,000 in CDBG funding used for structural facade improvements, audible traffic signals, ADA-compliant curb ramp upgrades and the reconstruction of Foundry Street.
Mendel said CDBG dollars also help leverage private property owners in keeping up with maintenance.
“The downtown revitalization program we had between 2014 and 2016 was also funded from CDBG funds from the state,” Mendel said. “That was a direct benefit that leveraged significant money from private property owners ... another $150,000 or so.”
Since 2004, the city has been awarded over $4.6 million in CDBG and Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) funding, which has been leveraged with approximately $1 million in additional city funds to “benefit our low income areas and improve our city’s quality of life.”
The city also annually receives an additional $400,000 in CHIP funds, another HUD program that could possibly be affected in the proposed budget or down the road. That grant, $800,000, is applied for jointly and split with the city of Brunswick, but managed by Medina, and focuses mostly on private property rehabilitation.
“(The funds) help mitigate negative perceptions of certain neighborhoods in their city,” Mendel said. “The exterior management of a property is important in getting over that perception.”