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Reed, HUD regional administrator tour Chautauqua County

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY — United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administrator, Lynne Patton, tours sites in Jamestown, NY and Dunkirk, NY that are annually provided HUD funding through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and other HUD programming. The City of Jamestown received $1,056,212 and the City of Dunkirk received $448,163 in direct CDBG funding as entitlement cities. New York State received $45,611,334 in CDBG funding in 2017 which allows them to award grants to smaller units of localized government across the state. In the 23rd Congressional district, both Elmira and Ithaca are also entitlement cities, receiving $1,075,611 and $644,410 through direct CDBG funding respectively. Other municipalities across the district receive money through the State Program.

“We believe in our communities and making sure they have the necessary resources to thrive. We have all seen the successes of these investments in our neighborhoods and are pleased to show them to Administrator Patton and her team. By strengthening our relationship with the administrator and HUD through this visit, we are confident we’ll be able to have additional successes in the future,” stated Reed.

“I want to thank Congressman Reed for the invitation to tour his district, as well as the HUD grantees and stakeholders who work tirelessly to serve the residents of Chautauqua County.I am committed to advocating for necessary federal funding and look forward to continuing to work together to serve the Southern Tier and Western New York,” said Lynne Patton, Regional Administrator.

“The HUD funding that comes through CDBG and other HUD funding programs play an absolutely critical role in helping our cities address housing issues and urban renewal. This funding is also very important to many of our towns that apply for funding for critical projects. I am very pleased Congressman Reed was able to bring one of HUD’s top officials to Chautauqua County to meet with local representatives and demonstrate the impact these funding opportunities have in our communities,” stated Assemblyman Andy Goodell.

“I appreciate Congressman Reed’s steadfast support of CDGB funding, which has had a tremendous positive impact on our county.Having the opportunity to showcase those results with Administrator Patton and Congressman Reed and talk about the potential for the future of CDBG funds throughout our county is greatly appreciated as well,” said George Borrello, Chautauqua County Executive.

Mayor of Jamestown, Sam Teresi, stated, “HUD’s CDBG program has been a critical tool in addressing neighborhood housing issues in the City of Jamestown. The city helps guide rehabilitation projects for both owner-occupied homes and rental properties to address code and safety issues. It’s allowed us to help seniors stay in their homes. We’ve also used HUD funding to address aging infrastructure such as sidewalks, curbs, and the streets in our neighborhoods and downtown to improve accessibility for people with physical handicaps.

Teresi continued, “CDBG funds have been extremely helpful in renovating commercial buildings throughout the city, but, in particular, they have aided the aggressive approach we have taken through our downtown revitalization efforts. The public funds have helped us leverage a multi-factorial level of private investment. CDBG funds have also allowed the city to hire a code enforcement officer dedicated to targeting areas of city neighborhoods that have been in decline due to a transition from owner occupied homes to rental properties owned by investors not residing in the city or even the region.”,”

“The City of Dunkirk has been the recipient of CDBG Funds through the HUD Program for years, and our residents have been the beneficiaries,” Mayor of Dunkrik, Wilfred Rosas, stated.

Mayor Rosas continued, “Within the past two years, we have been successful, through these funds, in partnering with CHRIC for a “New Home Ownership” initiative. These funds have provided eight (8) families to become new home owners and tax paying citizens. The CDBG/HUD dollars in the amount of over $150,000 were used on what has become known as the ‘Hoyt Street Project’. It was with these funds that we were able to install new and more efficient water lines, totally repair and pave the street, and most importantly, through this allotment of dollars, our residents were provided with three working fire hydrants that had been out of commission for years thereby preventing what could have become a potential life-threatening situation.”

Mayor Rosas concluded, “As an entitlement community, the City of Dunkirk is appreciative of the funds awarded to us. Our residents and tax payers, through an economic downturn of late, have felt the benefits HUD and the CDBG funds have provided.”

“The Community Development Block Grant program is a key tool for expanding economic opportunity, investing in infrastructure and revitalizing communities,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. “CDBG allows leaders like Chautauqua County Executive Borrello to design local solutions for local communities. We applaud County Executive Borrello and partners at the local level, and we thank Congressman Reed and HUD Regional Administrator Patton for supporting a strong, flexible CDBG program.