Events Allow Citizen Input on Housing, Development, Community Needs

ERIE COUNTY, NY— Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz announced dates for three citizen forums to help determine the needs and priorities of low- and moderate-income residents living within the Erie County Community Development Block Grant Consortium (“Consortium”). The Consortium is comprised of 34 municipalities, excluding the City of Buffalo, the Towns of Amherst, Cheektowaga, Hamburg and Tonawanda and their Villages. The information gathered at the forums will assist the County’s Department of Environment and Planning in preparing the 2014 Community Development application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“I encourage all residents living in the Consortium area to attend the forums and speak their mind about their community’s needs,” said Poloncarz. “These forums will provide an excellent way for residents to offer suggestions on what they would like to see happen in their communities, as well as learn more about topics that affect them. The information discussed here will also help in formulating the 2014 Community Development plan, so it’s important that as many residents as possible join in the discussion.”

The three public forums are scheduled for:

• Monday, September 16, 2013: 7:00 PM at the Depew Village Hall Council Chambers, 85 Manitou St., Depew
  
• Tuesday, September 17, 2013: 6:30 PM at the Lackawanna Public Library Community Room, 560 Ridge Rd., Lackawanna
  
• Thursday, September 19, 2013: 7:00 PM at the Village of Springville Municipal Building Court Room, 65 Franklin St., Springville

These public forums provide an opportunity to increase citizens’ awareness and participation in the Consortium’s federal Community Development program by allowing the general public, as well as agency advocates for low- and moderate-income individuals, the elderly, and handicapped to offer suggestions and information on the needs of these populations to County and municipal officials. Housing needs, such as affordable housing and housing for special populations (the homeless, the elderly, persons with disabilities, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and residents of public housing) and community and economic development needs such as transportation, jobs, community facilities and infrastructure (sewers, water, and roads) will be prime topics for discussion at the forums.

These forums will also serve as countywide public meetings for Erie County’s Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Solutions Grant and HOME Investment Partnership programs. Each will cover four areas: Housing, Public/Human Services, Community/Neighborhood Development, and Economic Development Needs, plus a review of Community Development Program Performance as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Information obtained from the forums will be used to formulate the Erie County Consortium’s Community Development 2014 Action Plan beginning in early 2014.