The City of Austin Celebrates National Community Development Week April 9 – 15

Austin, Texas (April 6, 2007) – The City of Austin’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development (NHCD) Department is set to celebrate Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Week beginning April 9 – 15. The theme this year is “Building Strong Communities: Telling the Story, Promoting the Success.”

“This week, we will be celebrating our sub recipients for the tremendous work they do in our community,” said Paul Hilgers, director of Neighborhood Housing and Community Development. “CDBG federal dollars play such an important role in the services they provide. We want to show our support for them, their clients and CDBG.”

The City plans to kick off the celebration with a news conference Tuesday, April 10 from 10 – 11 a.m. at the Carver Museum, 1165 Angelina Street with Mayor Pro Tem Betty Dunkerley and a representative from Family Eldercare, a CDBG sub-recipient. Following the news conference, NHCD director Paul Hilgers will take guests on a “virtual tour” of how CDBG federal dollars are working in the Austin community.

On Thursday, April 12th at 5 p.m. at City Hall, the City will receive a proclamation proclaiming the week of April 9 as CDBG Week. The celebration will end on Saturday, April 14 in Lott Park, 1108 Curves Street, with a Community Development Block Party for the community and CDBG sub recipients from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program was enacted in 1974 to provide grants to eligible communities across the country to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing, a suitable living environment and economic opportunities to low- and moderate-income people. Each year, the City of Austin receives CDBG dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). To date the City has received more than $200 million in federal grants.

For the City of Austin, CDBG dollars help support many social services for low- to moderate-income families. From child care, senior, and youth services, business development and tenant’s rights to homeless shelters and supportive services, transitional housing, women’s and children’s shelters, and neighborhood revitalization projects are all funded in part by CDBG funds. CDBG has also increased affordable housing opportunities for first-time homebuyers, renters and existing home owners. It has helped to create and retain job opportunities and assisted in the redevelopment and revitalization of central East Austin neighborhoods.

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call 974-3100 (voice) or 974-3102 (TDD) for assistance. This project is made possible by funding from HUD through the City of Austin.

CONTACT: Jackie Mayo, AHFC, 974-3121 (voice), 802-7108 (pager)