Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 16, 1993 TAG: 9304160349
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
HOUSING, JOBS TO GET TOP DOLLARS
About 77 percent of Roanoke's proposed $7.6 million community-development budget for the next fiscal year will be spent on housing and economic-development programs.The budget reflects the priorities of residents at a recent workshop, who ranked better housing and jobs among the city's most pressing needs, said Marie Pontius, the city's grants monitor.
Forty-three percent of the money would be spent on the rehabilitation of dilapidated housing in inner-city neighborhoods and on other housing programs.
Thirty-four percent is earmarked for jobs and job-training programs, including the Hotel Roanoke project. The budget contains $460,000 to repay the first installment of a $6 million federal loan for the hotel renovation.
There was no opposition to the proposed budget at an administrative public hearing Thursday night, but there were several questions about the ranking of the projects.
City Council also will have a hearing on the budget on May 10 and make the final decision.
Pontius said 45 projects and programs would be partially or fully funded. But no money has been allocated for 11 projects for which funds were sought.
Agencies that have not been recommended for funding include the Harrison Museum of African-American Culture, Roanoke Area Ministries, Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization and Historic Gainsboro Preservation District Inc.
"There is not enough money to fund all of the good ideas we have," said James Ritchie, assistant city manager.
"I wish there were more money," Pontius said.
The Gainsboro group, headed by Evelyn Bethel, applied for $20,000 to help acquire and renovate a vacant house for an office and apartments upstairs.
The budget does contain $91,290 for the purchase and relocation of two historical houses on Wells Avenue that will be displaced by the street's realignment.
The $7.6 million budget includes $3.2 million in federal community-development funds, $3.6 million in private funds, $285,000 in state funds and $509,000 in other local and federal funds.
The city uses the federal money to help leverage or match private funds for housing rehabilitation projects.
Pontius said the city may receive an additional $1.3 million in federal community-development funds if Congress approves President Clinton's short-term economic-stimulus package. The bill is tied up in filibuster in the Senate.
If the city gets the funds, Pontius said, they will have to be spent on projects that can start to create jobs within 90 days.