By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Last year, Bowling Green used grant funding to help low income residents repair their homes, get to work with public transportation, create jobs, and provide transitional housing for people teetering on the brink of homelessness.
“One hundred percent of the actions we take are for people of low and moderate incomes,” said Tina Bradley, grants administrator for the city.
“The need is still there,” Bradley said after a recent public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant and Revolving Loan Fund program operated by the city. Though the city either met or exceeded its goals, Bradley said there are always unmet needs.
“We always have a waiting list at the end of the year,” she said.
The biggest problem dealt with by the CDBG program is the lack of affordable housing in Bowling Green. That also means that many residents have difficulty dealing with home repairs.
“When a furnace goes out, it can be devastating,” Bradley said.
Using the CDBG and RLF funding of $701,640, the city was able to do the following:
- 8 mobile home repairs.
- 17 housing rehabilitations.
- 8 elderly home repairs.
- 1 home repair.
- 84 people helped with public transportation.
- 129 people helped with transitional housing for homeless.
- 7 jobs created with Revolving Job Creation/Business Assistance Loans.
Sue Clark, executive director of the Bowling Green Economic Development Office, spoke up at the public hearing to explain that public transportation is becoming increasingly important for local manufacturers who rely on the service to get employees to work on time.
“That is key to keeping some of their employees,” Clark said.
Clark also said the city’s Revolving Loan Fund has been very useful in helping local businesses to create jobs.
“It’s a powerful tool,” she said. “It’s probably one of the more successful Revolving Loan Funds in the state.”
Brent Baer, superintendent of Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities, said Wood Lane consumers are frequent users of the public transportation services. He also said the board would like to work more with the city on housing opportunities.
“We’re always grateful for the opportunity to partner with Bowling Green,” he said.
Representatives of the Salvation Army spoke of the need for transitional housing for the homeless. The city originally projected it would serve 75 people last year with those needs, but ended up serving 129.
Bradley said the city may be able to serve more people with home repair needs in the future since Bowling Green is now included in Wood County’s Community Home Improvement Program. The city also hopes to offer assistance with a direct home ownership program.
During the public hearing, Bradley presented the following statistics, showing impediments to housing choices in Bowling Green. The information is based on Census data, the American Community Survey and Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy.
- 7,982 people (32.5 percent) live below poverty level in Bowling Green.
- Median household income is $34,550, lower than the statewide average of $48,308.
- 6,310 units within the city’s housing stock have a risk of lead-based paint hazards.
- There are an estimated 2,270 low-moderate income renter households that are severely cost burdened, meaning their housing costs are equal to or greater than 50 percent of the household income.
- There are an estimated 150 low-moderate income homeowner households that are severely cost burdened, with housing costs equal to or greater than 50 percent of the household income.
- There are an estimated 185 low-moderate income homeowner households that are cost burdened, with housing costs equal to or greater than 30 percent of household income.
- There are an estimated 1,115 low-moderate income renter households that are cost burdened, with housing costs equal to or greater than 30 percent of household income.
- There are an estimated 139 households with one or more children 6 years old or younger at the extremely low income level.
A survey showed the following need for CDBG supported programs:
- 90 percent need decent, affordable housing. Program provides low-moderate income households with affordable rents and home repairs for homeowners with lower incomes.
- 86 percent need job creation. Business Revolving Loan Fund helps create jobs for people with low-moderate incomes.
- 79 percent need homeless prevention and assistance. Program supports transitional sheltering for people who are homeless and support of the local public transit system often used by people getting to job sites.
- 73 percent supported business assistance within the Downtown Business District through loans from the Business Revolving Loan Fund.
- 50 percent supported public improvements such as tree planting, sidewalk reconstruction and park aesthetics in areas with more low-income residences.
