Mount Vernon Receives Federal Funding For Affordable Housing

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. – After spending months developing a five-year consolidated plan in an effort to remain eligible for federal funding, Mount Vernon has been awarded nearly $3 million for additional affordable housing.

The Modern is the latest affordable housing development project in Mount Vernon.
Photo Credit: *Zak Failla*

Zak Failla

06/03/2015 4:30 a.m.

With the consolidated plan complete, city officials announced that the city will receive $1.5 million from a HUD Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), more than $300,000 in HOME Investment program funds, $350,000 from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) and more than a million dollars courtesy of the Westchester and Supporting Housing Program (SHP).

Due to the fact that Mount Vernon receives annual federal funds from HUD, officials are required to submit a consolidated and first-year plan, as well as an analysis of impediments to fair housing that will be reviewed by federal officials every five years.

According to city officials, “Mount Vernon receives funding under the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program through the county of Westchester and Supportive Housing Program (SHP) funds through the Continuum of Care (CoC),” programs designed to allow access to affordable, well-maintained housing for low-income families.

Earlier this year, Mount Vernon officials broke ground on a pair of affordable housing projects, including The Modern, a multi-use transit-oriented development that includes 80 affordable housing units and an $18 million development at Grace Terrace.

“A lot of people come to see us (about development projects), and as we’ve seen, some of the projects in Mount Vernon have been disappointing,” state Sen. And Mount Vernon mayoral hopeful Ruth Hassell-Thompson said at The Modern groundbreaking. “This building represents something extraordinary, and the people of Mount Vernon deserve something extraordinary.”

The consolidated plan, which will run through 2019, will be available for public comment online during the month of June. Hard copies are available at the Mount Vernon Department of Planning and Community Development, the Westchester County Department of Social Services office in the city, and the Mount Vernon Urban Renewal Agency. There will be a public hearing on the five-year plan on Tuesday, June 16.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Mount Vernon and receive free news updates.