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WARREN -- Trumbull County is receiving a portion of specially designated CARES Act funding distributed by the federal government to the state to fund several programs and projects, including foreclosure and eviction prevention and assistance to people experiencing homelessness.
Trumbull County will receive $597,000 of the $27.2 million the state received in the first allocation of Community Development Block Grant funds through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act. The funds are administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency's Office of Community Development, according to a state news release and information from the Trumbull County Planning Commission. The funds only can be applied to projects that benefit people with low-to-moderate income or the areas where they live.
"This pandemic has forced us all to rethink how we gather and how we conduct our daily lives. An emphasis on safety and health guidelines has become priority one and I don't see that changing anytime soon. That's why programs like this are so important for local governments," said commissioners president Mauro Cantalamessa.
The planning commission applied for the funds on behalf of the county, submitting a pre-application for the funds in June 2020, and a final application in February, Julie Green, director of the planning commission, stated in an email.
A grant agreement was issued this week, an environmental review is in progress and a request to release the funds will be sent to the state at the end of April, according to Green. After the state releases the funds, procurement for the projects will begin.
The projects are:
-- $161,800 for a countywide foreclosure and eviction prevention project with Community Legal Aid. "Community Legal Aid will utilize the funds to pay the base hourly rate and fringe benefits of an attorney and a paralegal through Dec. 31, 2022, and any other related costs associated with providing income eligible households with foreclosure prevention and / or eviction legal assistance," the news release states;l $105,000 to improve the outdoor space at the Newton Falls Senior Center to allow more social distancing at the center;
-- $90,000 for a countywide homeless assistance program with the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board. The funds will be used for hotel stays, operational staffing costs, personal protective equipment and cleaning products;
-- $55,000 to install a handicap-accessible, automatic, touch-free entry and exit for the building and the restroom, and install partitions at the Hubbard Senior Center;
-- $55,000 for COVID-19 precautions, testing and quarantining;
-- $31,000 to replace the heating and cooling system at the Emmanuel Community Care Center at 2 N. State St., Girard, where housing for those without it is offered;
-- $31,000 for a blast chiller and electrical upgrades for Trumbull Mobile Meals;
-- $10,000 for the purchase and installation of six air-scrubbing units for the heating and cooling units at the Girard Multi-Generational Center;
-- $8,700 to purchase 24 Kindles, 300 nylon mailer bags and 5,000 disposable masks for the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library.
And $50,000 of the award will go toward administrative costs, the maximum allowed by the program. The planning commission will administer it, ensuring the projects stay within the rules and regulations, according to the news release.
"Through this award we're able to provide public agencies and facilities some desperately needed resources to help in the fight against COVID-19. The planning commission was able to identify several different facilities and programs throughout the county that would qualify and, ultimately, the board is pleased with the award as we can assist some of those needs through this program," Cantalamessa said.
rfox@tribtoday.com