HUNTINGTON BEACH : Block Grant Use Report Available

A progress report outlining accomplishments of the Community Development Block Grant Program over the past year is available at the Civic Center.

Block grants have allowed the city to improve living conditions for lower-income residents as well as to upgrade parks and recreational facilities, Mayor Grace Winchell said.

“In areas such as Oakview, Florida-Utica and Amberleaf (formerly Commodore Circle), housing conditions have been improved so that lower-income residents can have an equal opportunity for decent housing,” she said.

Frequently, the residents receive low-interest loans to rehabilitate their homes, Winchell added.

Also, block grants provide the city with funding for a variety of human service agencies that assist families living in low- and moderate-income areas.

Huntington Beach has participated in the program since its inception in 1974. As part of its current $1.45-million grant, the city paid for a new skateboard park at Murdy Community Park and a wheelchair lift at the City Gym and Pool.

The city’s Economic Development Department administers the block grant program, which is funded by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Copies of the progress report are available at the city’s economic development department on the fifth floor of the Civic Center, at 2000 Main St.