From Mayor Finch:
Mayor Bill Finch announced today that the City of Bridgeport’s Central Grants & Community Development office is now accepting applications for 2012-2013 (Program Year 38), which includes the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant Program, HOME Program and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program.
“These are valued programs that contribute to the local economy, serve households in need, maintain and stabilize neighborhoods, and provide the flexibility to develop partnerships and projects that are vital to the wellbeing and sustainability of Bridgeport,” said Mayor Finch. “I encourage every local organization seeking to enhance and promote their missions in Bridgeport to attend the informational sessions to learn more about these grant opportunities.”
Central Grants & Community Development will host the following application Technical Assistance Sessions at City Hall Annex, 999 Broad Street:
January 23 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDBG/HOME
January 24 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDBG/HOME
January 25 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. CDBG/HESG/HOPWA
January 25 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. HESG/HOPWA
The Central Grants & Community Development office strongly encourages interested applicants to attend one of the technical assistance sessions as application requirements have changed.
Interested organizations may access the Notice of Funding Application (NOFA), and related information via the City’s website, www.bridgeportct.gov. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 10, 2012 at 3 p.m.
For further information and questions contact the Central Grants & Community Development office at 203-576-8144.
It seems no one wants to bother commenting on this offering. Perhaps everyone thinks it is a closed process anyway. Community groups last round were completely isolated by the Finch administration who succeeded in moving a large percentage of these funds into their administrative and salary line items while ignoring poor people in the community who needed to be served. The trade-off was the big switcheroo where something like $800 K was allocated to Marionville Cooperative Housing where Councilmembers had relatives living or where Lydia served on its board.
Then there was the allocation of most of the Obama stimulus money to Harborview Towers. That was where Lydia got out the absentee ballot. Now Lydia is co chairman of the council committee that allocates CDBG, the Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee.
*** With all the non-profit organizations in Bpt and shrinking federal dollars, along with political preferences when it comes to granting dollar amounts, it’s nothing more than false hope for the average folk, no? ***