North Hills : Agencies Seek Input on Residents’ Needs

The North Hills Community Coordinating Council sponsors a public meeting today of the Los Angeles Community Development Department and Valley service agencies and residents.

Staff from the Community Development Department (CDD) will present information on a variety of community and housing programs to be funded by the department and through other grants, and will seek input from the public on the needs of residents of the San Fernando Valley.

“It has been really tough to get community involvement at these meetings in the past,” said Tony Swan, vice president of the North Hills Community Coordinating Council. “This should help, to have the city hold the meeting here in our neighborhood.”

Swan said one of the coordinating council’s goals for next year is to improve public input to the department on a variety of issues and programs. The council has requested that staff from the department attend a monthly meeting, to be held during the day at various locations in the Valley.

Meetings are currently held at 4:30 p.m. in Downtown Los Angeles.

At today’s meeting, CDD staff will collect comments from residents on their views of how the department can meet community development and housing needs. Comments will be incorporated in the Los Angeles Housing and Community Development Consolidated Plan.

Sources of funding for the plan include Community Development Block Grants, Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS and Emergency Shelter grants, among other grant programs.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at United Methodist Church, 15435 Rayen St. in North Hills.