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.

A heated discussion about CDBG funding erupted in Lima's City Council Chambers on Monday. The debate was between 5th Ward Councilman Jamie Dixon and Community Development Director Susan Crotty. After listening to information from the second CDBG funding hearing at Monday night's meeting, Dixon said he has concerns about why certain agencies have large amounts of carryover estimated each year.

Funding for Lima's Community Development Block Grant and home funding has decreased since last year, and the city got an update on what that means for them.

On Monday Susan Crotty, Director of Community Development presented the 2015-2020 consolidated plan for the CDBG and home funding to Lima City Council.

17 applicants try and get federal grant funding from the City of Lima.