The city’s latest accomplishments to meet our housing and community development needs for low- and moderate-income people and neighborhoods are available for review in the annual CAPER report.
The city received $1.3 million in federal funding for the last program year, running July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. The Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) explains the city’s accomplished projects to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This report is available for public review and comment through Thursday, Sept. 22 in Room 117 of City Hall, 10 N. Division St. Normal business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The report also is available on the city’s website, www.battlecreekmi.gov/181/Community-Development.
The City Commission will hold a public hearing on the CAPER on Tuesday, Sept. 20. The commission meeting begins at 7 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall.
Those who wish to comment in writing can do so by Sept. 22 to Chris Lussier, Community Development Manager, City of Battle Creek, 10 N. Division St., Room 117, Battle Creek, MI 49014.
Please see the attached map, which shows where in the city community development funds were spent. Following are highlights of our spending during this last program year.
With Community Development Block Grant funding, the city:
· Funded housing code compliance to complete 4,430 enforcements in target areas, addressing blight, health and safety issues to improve property conditions in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.
· Helped ensure the safety of rental housing by helping code officers complete 1,276 rental inspections.
· Worked to reduce blighted vacant and abandoned buildings with 309 enforcements on dangerous buildings in target areas and monthly monitored about 800 vacant and abandoned buildings.
· Demolished seven vacant and abandoned buildings.
· Assisted 47 low- and moderate-income home owners with minor home repair.
· Contracted with the Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan to provide education and conduct fair housing investigations.
· Led a Lead Poisoning Prevention Task Force in partnership with the Calhoun County Health Department and other community organizations.
With HOME funding, in partnership with other organizations, the city:
· Renovated a duplex apartment building at 94/96 Harvard with Southwest Michigan Community Development Corp. (formerly Neighborhoods Inc.).
· Rehabilitated three owner-occupied homes, managed by Community Action.
· Assisted 12 families with short-term housing stability with the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program, administered by Community Action.
· Rehabilitated the vacant 253 N. McKinley, current offered for sale by the Calhoun County Land Bank Authority.
During this program year, the city also used Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds, through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, to rehabilitate and resell two formerly vacant homes, a continuation of the work to stabilize the McKinley and Wabash neighborhoods.
The city has worked with the state and Calhoun County Land Bank Authority to received Hardest Hit funds, helping continue its efforts to remove vacant buildings from our neighborhoods.
The city’s Community Development Division administers the city’s funds from the federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership programs.