Sugar Land City Council reviews uses for grants

Sugar Land staffers recommended to the City Council in early June that most of the federal money from the Community Development Block Grant program be used to fund a street repaving project and an organization that repairs the homes of low-income residents.

At its June 6 meeting, Sugar Land City Council reviewed a presentation by Stacie Henderson, assistant director of environment and neighborhood services, laying out how the $267,181 anticipated to be received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s community assistance program for fiscal year 2017-18 be spent.

The remaining $52,000 is earmarked to pay a contractor to oversee disbursement of the money.

The American Red Cross requested $30,000 in CDBG money as well but was turned down.

“They didn’t score as highly on their application,” Henderson said, but did not detail problems with the request.

The money is to be spent in census tracts where at least 25.39 percent of residents meet the federal income guidelines. Sections of Sugar Land earmarked for the grant money include large swaths of land north of Hwy. 90.

Henderson recommended a public hearing on the plans be held in July. Cities have until Aug. 15 to submit their plans to HUD.

“It’s one of my favorite programs we do,” Council Member Amy Mitchell said. “It’s us working with government money to give back to the community.”