Union County – The County of Union is proud to be celebrating National Community Development Week from April 2nd through April 4th with a series of events that will highlight the positive effects of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) programs. This year’s Community Development Week theme is “Changing Communities, Changing Lives.”
“The benefits of the CDBG and HOME programs go far beyond just improving the physical appearance of our neighborhoods,” said Freeholder Chairman Linda Carter. “These programs are the very foundation for strengthening and improving the social and economic conditions of our area as a whole.”
Union County’s CD week celebration will bring officials and community leaders together to tour CDBG and HOME funded projects in Plainfield, Roselle and Elizabeth. This year’s featured projects include:
- A residential property in Plainfield rehabilitated with Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds
- The Plainfield Senior Citizens Center: 400 East Front Street in Plainfield
- The Union County Occupational Center: 301 Cox Street in Roselle
- The Union County Child Advocacy Center: 240-242 West Jersey Street in Elizabeth
The CDBG program is a flexible grant program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs; while the HOME Investment Partnership Program is the largest Federal block grant to State and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households.
2013 marks the 39th anniversary of the CDBG program and the 22nd anniversary of the HOME program. Both programs have faced significant cuts over the past two years despite their importance to the most vulnerable people and communities across the country. As a result the National Community Development Week campaign is geared towards focusing local and national attention on their impact and accomplishments.
For more information on Union County’s 2013 Community Development Week celebration, contact Sylvia Konicki at 908-527-4229.
###
For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release. Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.