Here's the response to my comment to the State Office re: funding for The Bricks. Maybe others will email Ms. Stone ASAP!
Thank you for your email in regard to this project. Applications under the Neighborhood Conservation Initiative are due to DHCD on January 15th. Our initial review will include determining if the projects within the applications meet the eligibility requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As we allowed local governments to determine their own agenda and choose their own projects, we can will review all eligible projects and activities.
That said, I thank you for your comments and concerns. We will take them into consideration during our review.
Cindy Stone
Director
Office of Community Programs
Division of Neighborhood Revitalization
Maryland DHCD
100 Community Place
Crownsville, MD 21032
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
9 comments:
"As we allowed local governments to determine their own agenda and choose their own projects, we can will review all eligible projects and activities."
Is this Cindy Stone's typo or that of the re-writer? I do not understand exactly what is being said here.
So now we know two things. One, the state did not choose the Bricks project, and two, the mayor's letter misrepresents the ownership of the commercial property she and her husband own. My letter will go today stressing that this property is in the middle of an area known for street prostitution and urban decline (which the City has done little to fix). Fixing the Bricks may help with urban decline, but unless families are raising future prostitutes, how is living at this location good for poor working families. Money needs to first clean up the neighborhood. No one else seems to have commented about the crime in this area, but please take a look at it, there is the Thrifty Travel Inn and a huge boarding house right behind the Inn and a stone throw away from the Bricks on Railroad Avenue. The whole area should be bulldozed!
Send in your comments to Ms. Stone at this agency. We can stop this madness!
Anon 842 Don't forget to mention the open air drug market at the 4 way stop on the corners of Naylor and Church. Or the drug market on Church and Records, Church and Charles, Barclay St, Railroad Ave, Isabella & Church, etc. Prostitution and drugs go hand in hand.
Some helpful info:
Cindy Stones email:
stonec@mdhousing.org
Grant Application, Rules, and Scoring Criteria:
http://www.neighborhoodrevitalization.org/Documents/REVISED%20-%20Application%20Policies
.pdf
The funds are to be
used to assist communities in addressing abandoned and foreclosed homes in
neighborhoods that have been impacted by foreclosure and sub-prime lending.
Applicants are required to establish target “Neighborhood Conservation Areas,” and to
propose investment strategies to stabilize these target areas.
Applications should be based on the following guiding principles:
• Areas designated for NCI investment should be those that have experienced
above average foreclosure or sub-prime lending activity but that also have
significant assets that will allow them to rebound with modest investment.
• NCI strategies should consider a balance of approaches that provide for affordable
workforce housing strategies, including rental and homeownership opportunities.
Eligible uses for NCI funds are:
1. Establish financing mechanisms for purchase and redevelopment of
foreclosed upon homes and residential properties, including such
mechanisms as soft-seconds, loan loss reserves and shared-equity loans
for low-and-moderate-income homebuyers.
2. Purchase and rehabilitate homes and residential properties that have been
abandoned or foreclosed upon, in order to sell, rent or redevelop such
homes and properties.
3. Establish land banks for homes that have been foreclosed upon.
4. Demolish blighted structures.
5. Redevelop demolished or vacant properties.
Does this seem like a disconnect to you. All over the City are blighted properties sitting in homeowner occupied neighborhoods reducing property values and discouraging further homeownership. Why are these funds not being targeted to demolish boarded up abandoned properties. Green space is good, eliminating boarded up properties would reduce crime. Tear down the Bricks along with all the other boarded up properties!
please float this and yesterdays articles back to the top of your blog so that readers can readily read them and see the need to write to Cindy Stone.
Throwing 2 million dollars at the Church street area for 6-8 apartments is MADNESS! That is the equivalent of $250,000 per unit! They couldn't even sell the condos on the riverfront for that. We need to take action to stop this project and hold the funds until the new mayor is sworn in. Surely he will listen to the citizens and taxpayers on how this money could best be spent.
WELCOME TO THE OBAMANATION -- before it even begins!
anon 8:38
What is being said here?
"That said, I thank you for your comments and concerns. We will take them into consideration during our review."
This is government talk to say thanks for giving us the heads up so we can make sure this issue goes away.
Nothing will be done, betya!
All of them cover each others arses...that is government in Maryland.
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