Westchester County Press Release.

https://yonkerscommunitymedia.com/yonkersinsider/index.php/2019/06/17/yonkers-insider-westchester-county-press-release/

WESTCHESTER COUNTY REESTABLISHES URBAN COUNTY CONSORTIUM

AND IS AWARDED FEDERAL HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

County Executive Latimer and Congresswoman Lowey announce first federal CDBG grants the County has received since 2010.

Watch the Full News Conference Here.

(Elmsford, NY) – In order to enable Westchester municipalities’ eligibility for federal community development funding, Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced the reestablishment of the Westchester Urban County Consortium and the County’s first grant awards. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program allows municipalities to apply for funding for infrastructure improvements such as sewer and water treatment, sidewalk rehabilitation, playground and field upgrades and handicapped accessible vans.

Latimer was joined by U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee who helped secure the CDBG funds, and municipal leaders at DeLuca Park in the Village of Elmsford. The park is set to receive $67,500 for playground improvements and is an example of how municipalities can benefit from the CBBG Program.

The new consortium is comprised of 25 towns and villages in the County, with a combined population of more than 347,000 residents.

To reestablish the Consortium, Latimer convened a meeting in March 2018 of the eligible municipalities along with regional Housing and Urban Development (HUD) representatives. The County then worked directly with each eligible municipality to educate them on the benefits, responsibilities and application process for the program. Westchester County is now eligible to apply for the following federal community development grant programs:

·         Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which provides funds to local municipalities and nonprofits for physical facilities and public services
·         HOME Program which provides funds to developers of affordable housing

Once the Consortium was reestablished, the County submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on May 1, 2019. The County was awarded more than $3.5 million in CDBG funding, and $880,000 in HOME funding for the 2019 fiscal year. Westchester’s cities with a population of more than 50,000 (Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains, Yonkers) are eligible to apply directly to HUD for these funds.

Latimer said: “Westchester County stands to get millions in funding from these programs. I am pleased to have jump-started the process for municipalities and nonprofits to receive much-needed federal funding for important local projects such as infrastructure improvements, and community development. This is another example of how working cooperatively at all levels of government, we can provide real benefits to residents and save money for local taxpayers.”

Lowey, who is now chair of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, said: “Reestablishing the Westchester County Urban Consortium is an important step forward in securing the necessary federal resources to meet the community development, housing and infrastructure needs of our communities.  I was proud to have brokered an agreement with New York State in 2015 that made $5 million in HUD funding available to local governments and nonprofits.”

The Westchester County Planning Department will administer the Consortium funds, and provide member municipalities with technical assistance throughout the application and grant administration process. The Planning Department organizes four CDBG Consortium informational workshops in different municipalities each year. The third workshop was held on June 12, 2019 at the Port Chester Senior Community Center, photo attached. The 2019 grants are the first the County has received since 2010.

Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Planning Norma Drummond said: “By Westchester County administering this Program, we make the process simpler for our local municipalities, and eliminate the need for them to compete in the New York State Small Cities Program. The HOME funds will leverage the County’s own resources to help build more affordable housing. The County’s administration of these programs provides significant efficiencies for the municipalities and opportunities for rehabilitation for all income eligible households within the Consortium.”

Elmsford Mayor Robert Williams said: “I know I can speak on behalf of all of the other 25 mayors and supervisors that are eligible to receive the community development block grants again when I say we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for reestablishing the consortium so that we can receive this grant money. We wouldn’t be able to do any of these projects without this grant money, and I thank County Executive Latimer and Congresswoman Nita Lowey for your support of them.”

County Legislator Alfreda Williams said: “It is so important for our communities to be able to use this money constructively for playground and parkland, as well as for roads and all the other things that are so necessary for a village or a town. I thank County Executive George Latimer and Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who both deserve a round of applause for all of the work and the effort they have put in for all these years.”

Chair of the Westchester County Urban Consortium Steve Alteri said: “All of the officials here from local government know what it is to prepare a municipal budget. We are under the pressure of what our taxpayers are expecting, but under the pressure of the state tax cap and it is not always an easy thing to do. When we have funding available for infrastructure for projects to restore a park like this one, it is such a great advantage.”  

Below is the list of local municipalities with approved agreements, for fiscal year 2019.

Westchester Urban County Consortium:

Name:
Ardsley
Bedford
Buchanan
Cortlandt
Croton
Dobbs Ferry
Elmsford
Greenburgh
Hastings
Irvington
Lewisboro
Mamaroneck Town
Mamaroneck Village
Mount Kisco
Ossining Town
Ossining Village
Pelham Village
Pleasantville
Port Chester
Rye Brook
Rye Town
Scarsdale
Sleepy Hollow
Tarrytown Village
Yorktown
25 Municipalities
Municipalities Directly Eligible for CDBG
City of Mount Vernon
City of New Rochelle
City of White Plains
City of Yonkers
4 Municipalities