LOS ALAMITOS : City Picks 10 Projects for Funding Request

A housing improvement program for low- and moderate-income residents is at the top of the list of community projects city officials hope to launch in fiscal year 1995-96.

The projects would be financed with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grants, which are designed to revitalize neighborhoods, spur economic growth and provide facilities and services for low- and moderate-income families.

The City Council last week voted to seek more than $500,000 in block grants from Orange County, which administers the federal program for small cities. With a population of just over 12,000, Los Alamitos does not receive the grants directly, officials said.

Of the money requested, $60,000 would be set aside for the home improvements in the form of low-interest loans, deferred payment loans and grants. Another $60,000 would be available for business improvements, such as new storefronts, signs, parking and landscaping.

The biggest chunk, $100,000, would be used to put underground utility lines in the Apartment Row, Carrier Row, Old Town West and Old Town East neighborhoods.

Community Development Director Elizabeth Binsack said that all projects may not be funded. During the 1994-95 fiscal year, the city requested $450,000 for nine projects but received only $80,000 for five projects.

She said that, of the 10 projects submitted for funding, it is likely that just four or five may be allocated money.

Other proposed projects include the improvement of alleys between Bloomfield Street and Lexington Drive, alleys at Old Town West and renovation of Little Cottonwood, Roberts, Sterns and Soroptimist parks.