U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Again Recognizes Arlington’s Successes

By Susan Schrock

Posted on December 01, 2017, December 01, 2017

The City of Arlington recently received an exemplary performance evaluation from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on the administration of $4 million in federal housing and community development grant funds.

The evaluation report provides an overview of accomplishments by the City of Arlington in the past program year. Key objectives of the annual report described the City's successful efforts in providing decent housing, suitable and sustainable living environments, homeless services and progress made in the Central Arlington Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area and East Arlington Target Area.

The federal funds were leveraged with community resources to improve neighborhoods, housing opportunities and social services in The American Dream City. These projects align with the Arlington City Council priority to Champion Great Neighborhoods.

"The City and partner organizations have worked together to meet the needs of more than 11,000 Arlington residents," Deputy City Manager Jim Parajon said. "Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnership funds increase housing opportunities, improve neighborhoods and provide much needed social services. The impact of these investments has made a significant difference for many residents in our community."

Accomplishments during the past year were noted in the following areas:

Housing Opportunities:

• Housing Rehabilitation grants were provided to 87 low- and moderate-income households.
• Homeownership Assistance grants were provided to 11 first-time homebuyers
• 110 homebuyers received a minimum of 10 hours of pre-purchase education and counseling, budgeting, home maintenance and foreclosure prevention training.
• Tenant-Based Rental Assistance was provided to 47 homeless families.
• The City's HOME funded Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) completed construction of three new homes in the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area.
• The City participated in the collaborative effort to address homelessness in Tarrant County, resulting in the award of $612,599 in Continuum of Care (CoC) funds.
• The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) supported three shelters, which provided temporary shelter to 1,772 individuals, including 628 children and 1,144 adults.

Improve Neighborhoods:

• Provided Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to 19 nonprofit organizations and two City departments. serving approximately 11,488 Arlington residents during the program year.
• Code Enforcement completed 3,487 inspections at 2,090 unduplicated properties in the Central Arlington NRSA. A total of 62 students attended literacy classes and five passed the GED offered by Water From the Rock, a Community-Based Development Organization.
• Provided a range of youth services to 8,385 low-income youth through Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boy and Girls Club, Dental Health Arlington, Girls Inc., HOPE Tutoring, and the Arlington Parks and Recreation Department's Build A Dream Scholarship
• Sixty and Better provided meals and transportation to 305 seniors.
• Mission Metroplex and Catholic Charities Ride2Work provided access to transportation to 415 low-income clients.
• Dental Health for Arlington provided dental clinic services to 460 individuals and dental prevention services to 7,410 elementary students at Title 1 schools.
• The Women's Center of Tarrant County provided recovery and rehabilitation services to 99 victims of violent crime.
• The Center for Transforming Lives (formerly YWCA) Child Development Center provided full-day quality childcare to 24 low-income children.
• The Arlington Library provided literacy opportunities to 617 adults to become proficient in reading and speaking English.

For more information, visit the Grants Management website at http://www.arlington­tx .gov/pds/grants/

Related articles:

• Partnership Helping Homeownership Dreams Come True in Arlington
• Ask Arlington: Federal Grant Funds for Community Services
• "Live in Arlington' Website Invites Homebuyers to Discover The American Dream City