The City of Lima is using Community Development Block Grant funding to demolish abandoned and unsafe homes as part of its neighborhood revitalization efforts. Officials say the program will help eliminate blight while creating opportunities for redevelopment, with four more structures scheduled for demolition in the coming months.

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.

"This NRSA tool allows communities to carve out a boundary or an area and say, well, as long as this boundary and area qualifies under HUD terms, we no longer have to certify each individual project, each individual person, and ultimately, it allows us to do the revitalization work faster.” said Mayor Smith.

LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Applications for the City of Lima’s Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and HOME funds are now available.