PROGRESS REPORT

Community Development Department

2^nd Quarter of FY 2006

The Environmental Review Records for each of the individual projects in the 2005 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan were completed this quarter. Screening request letters were mailed out to the appropriate environmental agencies in September, with a request for a response within 45 days. The responses were received, and the records were compiled in November. Two CDBG projects required public comment periods; one was found to be a Categorical Exclusion, and the other had a finding of No Significant Impact. The public notices on these two projects were published on November 20^th, and the longer of the two comment periods ended on December 6^th. The Request for Release of Funds and Certification was submitted to HUD on December 6^th, and the Authority to Use Grant Funds was issued by HUD on December 23, 2005.

Progress continues on the 2004 projects that were funded. Approximately 80% of the bullet-resistant street light shields have been installed in city neighborhoods to date. We are working with the Police Department and local residents to identify additional locations where the remaining dozen or so shields will be beneficial. The owner-occupied housing rehabilitation programs being operated by Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Service (SNHS) and the Salisbury-Wicomico Planning, Zoning & Community Development Department (PZ&CD) are coming along well. The part-time Housing Counselor position at SNHS and the Individual Development Account (IDA) programs both began serving clients on July 1, 2005.

In September the CD Director began working on the city’s first Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the 2004 program year. This is another very large document which must be submitted to HUD each year, and it consists of an in-depth analysis of the progress made during the program year to address the goals and objectives outlined in the 5-year Consolidated Plan. The CAPER covers not only the projects that were funded with CDBG monies, but also all progress that has been made by other agencies city-wide to address the housing and community development needs identified in the Consolidated Plan. The draft CAPER was completed and made available to the public for comment from October 20^th through November 4^th. The document was then finalized and submitted to HUD on November 7^th. HUD will now review the CAPER and get back to us with their comments.

In September the CD Director began researching the possibility of having Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County recognized by HUD as a Community Based Development Organization (CBDO). This status would enable them to expend CDBG funds on certain types of projects that are not ordinarily eligible for funding, such as new housing construction. The Articles of Incorporation and the By-Laws for Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County were carefully reviewed in concert with the CDBG regulations. The necessary documentation was compiled and completed, and a request was submitted to HUD in early December that Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County be qualified as a CBDO. We hope to hear back from them in early February.

In December the CD Director began updating the CDBG application and making preparations for the PY 2006 funding cycle. A new, additional application has been created this year for the Community Betterment program, a sub-section of the CDBG program. The Community Betterment Program will allow the smaller organized neighborhood associations that do not have 501(c)(3) status to submit projects for funding consideration up to a maximum of $5,000. The next funding round will open in early January 2006.

The CD Director continues to attend the meetings of the Tri-County Alliance for the Homeless. The 2005 CDBG Action Plan includes funding for the Salisbury Homeless Outreach Program (SHOP) which will be orchestrated by the Somerset County Health Dept./Tri-County Alliance for the Homeless in conjunction with local volunteer churches. This project will provide emergency shelter space for the homeless during the cold winter months, and outreach and casework services during the warmer months.