CREATING A STRONG ECONOMY
Rural Oregon Cities Receive Business Oregon Community Development Block Grant Awards to Support Healthy and Thriving Communities B usiness Oregon is supporting Ǟve rural community projects statewide through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The
failure to the sewer collection system if not rectiǞed. The adjacent six-inch asbestos cement piping force main was installed in 1966 and has surpassed its intended design life. In recent years, failures of the force main have increased and led to sewer leaks. The city is working to improve the fore main and has completed the project design and environmental assessment requirements. The CDBG program funding will assist the city in completing the construction phase of the project. City of Roseburg: The City of Roseburg will serve as the lead applicant for the regional housing rehabilitation program, partnering with Douglas County and the City of Myrtle Creek. The City of Roseburg will contract with NeighborWorks Umpqua to operate the rehabilitation program, using the CDBG funds to rehabilitate homes owned by residents at or below 80% of Area Median Income. These projects will take place within the city limits of Roseburg and Myrtle Creek, or within Douglas County. The City of Roseburg anticipates serving at least 30 households with CDBG housing rehabilitation grants of up to $15,000 each. The program will prioritize households who are unable to access other home repair funding programs or whose homes need critical repairs to leverage additional home repair resources. The CDBG program will fund $100,000 of repairs to manufactured homes in parks. City of Vale: The City of Vale’s Residential Housing Rehabilitation Type II grant will provide needed funding (not otherwise available) for up to 25 low to moderate income families. The funding will be used to alleviate sub-standard conditions and provide affordable, safe, and sanitary housing for homeowners in the cities of Vale, Ontario, and Nyssa. The grant supports home improvements that increase energy efǞciency, rectify health and safety issues, and support other critical needs. More information on each of these projects, as well as full program information, is available at Oregon.gov/biz/ programs/CDBG. n
CDBG program supports the development of livable communities by expanding economic opportunities and providing suitable housing and living environments for persons of low and moderate income. These grants total $6,524,288 and will support Ǟve cities and counties. “We work in partnership with rural Oregon communities to build stable, growing economies,” said Business Oregon Assistant Director Chris Cummings. “The projects these investments will support will do just that—they set the stage for long-term rural community prosperity in Oregon.” Business Oregon administers the state of Oregon’s annual federal allocation of CDBG funds for non-metropolitan cities and counties. Tribes and urban cities and counties are not included in the state’s program as they receive CDBG funds directly from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Recipients in this round of funding: City of Burns: The City of Burns owns and operates a public water system. The city has identiǞed deǞciencies in their water distribution and supply systems due to the antiquated undersized distribution lines riddled with cracks and leaks caused by increased pressure from the water tower. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an increased dependence on city utilities. Water supply improvements are vital to ensure reliable operations and resilient municipal drinking water systems. City of Chiloquin: The City of Chiloquin will relocate its water supply well from 1,000 feet to 1.2 miles from the Williamson River (tributary to Klamath Lake) to comply with a regulation notice from the Oregon Water Resources Department citing that the city’s only water source would be regulated off to a senior water rights holder. City of Reedsport: The City of Reedsport’s wastewater system, the Forest Hills pump station, is inefǞcient and requires replacement due to issues that will bring to
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The Business Review | August 2022
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