Logan given community development funding grantAuthor(s): David Nelson Herald Journal staff |
Eleven nonprofit organizations in Logan received funding for upcoming projects Friday afternoon, as Congressman Rob Bishop presented the city with its first-ever Community Development Block Grant for $705,000. The monies will be used by the organizations in a variety of ways, from programs to assist low-income homebuyers to fixing a leaky roof above the pool table at the Cache County Senior Citizen Center.
"For the 15 or 20 guys that come in regularly, that's a big part of their life," the senior center's Tom Hogan said of the pool-playing crowd. "This money means a lot to a lot of people."
CDBG money has been allocated to local community-building organizations for years by the state. However, since Logan was designated a Metropolitan Statistical Area last summer, the city received funds directly from the Department of Housing and Urban Development this year. Nationally, more than $100 billion in CDBG money is awarded to state and local governments each year.
"HUD had been known as one of the major forces in the nation," said Bishop, R-Utah, "and with your program here, it's much more than that. Now the community does have some flexibility and can plan and work together on how this money is spent."
Nonprofit organizations applied for funding with specific projects in mind, and a committee of local and city leaders determined how to appropriate the grant earlier this summer. The largest allocation, at $151,000, was given to the Logan City Street Department for sidewalk accessibility improvements. The Sunshine Terrace Foundation received the next largest amount, more than $95,000 for a renovation project. Other nonprofits awarded money include Bridgerland Literacy, the Cache Community Hispanic Center, the Cache Valley Center for the Arts, the Logan Fire Department, Common Ground Outdoor Adventures, the Neighborhood Nonprofit Housing Corporation and the Whittier Community Center.
Thompson thanked Bishop for his assistance in securing the federal funding.
"We're just so pleased to be able to help so many fine organizations in the community with this money," said Thompson. |