Mesa residents, your opinions are in demand as the city has opened a public comment period for its proposed 2024-2025 Annual Action Plan, complete with a budget detailing the use of federal grants aimed at uplifting lower-income neighborhoods, the details were first reported on the city's own platform, MesaNow.org.
This fiscal strategy spells out the allocation of approximately $4.05 million from the federal Community Development Block Grant, another $3.57 million from the HOME Investment Partnerships, and $361,881 from the Emergency Solutions Grant, these grants are HUD initiatives designed to foster public services and housing development for low and moderate-income citizens; the city is also directing over $630,000 from its General Fund to Human Services for nonprofits.
If you've got a say on how this hefty sum should be spent—or not spent—your window to chime in remains open until April 6, 2024, at 6 p.m. Critics and supporters alike can mail their two cents to Michelle Albanese or shoot an email her way at [email protected]; all feedback will be considered before the City Council votes on the budget on April 15, as reported on MesaNow.org.
Looking back, Mesa has been an ally of HUD programs for decades racking up over $100 million in federal aid to bring relief and robust services to its low-income residents, these programs have been ongoing for years ranging from 31 to a striking 47 years, this financial tradition continues as Mesa gears up to submit the approved plan to HUD by the mid-May deadline, with a new fiscal year commencing July 1.
