Lima officials will use feedback from nearly 500 residents who completed a community needs survey to guide federal funding decisions. Applications for HUD Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds are now open, with proposals due May 1.
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State grant funding will support improvements to the Grand Opera House in St. Marys and help a Van Wert County business expand and create jobs.
Dionne Dickey, a community development specialist for the city of Lima, said resident input plays a direct role in how funding is allocated.
“It helps to determine where funding that we receive needs to go. Plain and simple, the city of Lima receives some federal dollars in the form of the Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds. And those dollars are determined by what is needed here in Lima.”
With uncertainty surrounding the federal budget, the City of Lima is making the most of every federal dollar to ensure equitable growth throughout the community.
The city will award three grants, and qualifying projects may receive an additional $1,500 from Activate Allen County if they meet extra requirements.
Applications are available on the City of Lima’s website and are due by 5 p.m. on Nov. 7.
The annual Community Needs Survey is active on the City of Lima's website and social media pages.
September 19, 2024, Press Release from the Office of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine: (COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik today announced that nearly three dozen communities will receive funding to complete critical infrastructure and neighborhood improvement projects that enhance the quality of life for Ohioans. More than $18.2 million in Neighborhood Revitalization and Critical Infrastructure grants will be awarded to 34 communities for projects such as upgraded water and sewer infrastructure, road and sidewalk replacement, park improvements, recreation enhancements, new fire trucks, and more.
The City of Lima will be distributing over one million dollars of home and CDBG funds into the community for various projects. For 2024, a little over 275,000 of home funds and about $1.05 million of CDBG funds combined for a grand total of approximately $1.33 million will be funneled into the city. These numbers do not include additional carryover funds also being distributed out. Out of the 28 applications, 27 projects will receive a portion of these funds with the goal of positively enhancing community operations.
Council has $822,000 dollars of funds to spend on COVID relief through CDBG-CV funds. They have come to an agreement that they will use $500,000 on homeless and quarantine support caused by the virus. The other $322,000 will be split between assisting small businesses and towards rental assistance. These funds have rules associated with them including: that a job of a low to moderate-income employee would be lost without the grant due to COVID, and the virus would have caused homelessness of a low to moderate-income household.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocations were passed by Lima City Council Monday night, but not before councilors raised some issues regarding increased funding for demolishing blighted homes. In the middle of the public hearing for the CDBG funds, 7th ward councilman Jon Neeper made a motion to take all of the grant funding, around 1 million dollars, and put it into the demolition of condemned homes. Neeper says the public has been called for more demolition and he believes the council should act on the public's request.