PROVIDENCE – Twenty-six cities and towns will receive nearly $5.3 million in grants from the 2014 Rhode Island Community Development Block Grant program.
Grants are given to municipalities which do not receive direct funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funds can be used to improve neighborhoods and build stronger communities, according to information provided by Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee’s office.
Priority was given to activities designed to improve or increase the supply of housing available to low- and moderate-income families and economic-development proposals, particularly in distressed neighborhoods.
“Through these grants, HUD is allowing our communities to enhance housing opportunities, develop a stronger living environment and create economic opportunities for Rhode Islanders,” Chafee said in a statement.
Grant awards are used for housing rehabilitation, housing projects, public facilities improvements, economic development, public services, and administration and planning.
The following communities received awards:
- Bristol, $253,000
- Burrillville, $550,000
- Central Falls, $550,728
- Coventry, $30,696
- Cumberland, $70,000
- East Greenwich, $97,468
- Exeter, $77,000
- Foster, $156,200
- Glocester, $2,000
- Hopkinton, $325,769
- Jamestown, $194,850
- Johnston, $73,500
- Lincoln, $8,900
- Little Compton, $10,000
- Middletown, $127,234
- Newport, $396,500
- North Providence, $196,350
- Portsmouth, $20,000
- Richmond, $115,019
- Scituate, $111,800
- Smithfield, $134,366
- South Kingstown, $309,250
- Tiverton, $517,400
- Warren, $218,982
- West Warwick, $531,875
- Westerly, $200,300
The amounts are preliminary, and subject to negotiations and approval by each municipality, the governor’s office said. Additional amounts, not included in the totals above, also may be committed in fiscal 2015 CDBG funds.
Each year, Rhode Island receives a formula allocation of CDBG funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to be distributed to eligible Rhode Island communities.