Utica allocates federal funding to local nonprofits and various city projects

UTICA — Various nonprofit agencies and selected projects in the city of Utica will use funding from the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Utica Mayor Michael Galime said the city has finalized its allocation of CDBG funding in a July 3 announcement. All of the nonprofit agencies selected to receive funding provide public services to low- and moderate-income persons and families throughout the city. Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), the Utica is set to receive more than $2.4 million in CDBG funding for the current program year that started on April 1 and continues through March 31, 2025. The federal government allocates CDBG funds to communities throughout the country, and they must be spent to help satisfy one of three of HUD’s national objectives. They include benefitting persons and families of low- to moderate-income; elimination of slums and blight; and addressing an urgent need (generally recognized as instances where a disaster declaration has been made), per the City of Utica’s announcement. “Additionally, I am pleased to announce two new initiatives. Throughout my campaign last year, two of my top priorities were small business assistance and neighborhood preservation,” Utica Mayor Michael Galime said in the announcement. “With this federal funding, a new tool will be added to the city’s economic-development toolbox through a grant program aimed at small businesses owned by minorities or women. Utica is a diverse city, home to many cultures and ethnicities, many whom seek to start their own business but have incredibly limited resources. These funds will help them attain that goal.” Galime went on to say. “The second new program this year will focus on residential properties taken by the city through the tax-foreclosure process. Because of the three years that it takes the city to actually foreclose, these properties are often the most blighted properties on the block by the time that the city takes title. With this $120,000 in CDBG funding, we will be able to make essential repairs to these properties to stave off further deterioration, whereby the only solution at that point is costly demolition.”

City projects

The City of Utica allocated CDBG funding to various city projects. They include: •​ Street reconstruction/repaving ($730,000) to reconstruct or repave primarily residential streets in neighborhoods of low- to moderate-income neighborhoods; •​ UFD turn-out gear ($60,000) to purchase new turn-out gear for firefighters serving principally low- to moderate-income neighborhoods; •​ Handicap accessibility in city parks ($275,000) to ensure handicap accessibility throughout city parks; •​ Residential sidewalk replacement program ($75,050) to continue the residential sidewalk rebate program in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods.

Nonprofit agencies

In its announcement, the City of Utica listed the nonprofit recipients, their award amount, and the services that they intend to provide. •​ 50 Forward ($27,000) to fund activities and programming for senior citizens; •​ Abraham House ($47,000) to provide residential caregiving for the terminally ill; •​ North Utica Senior Citizens Center ($27,000) to fund activities and programming for senior citizens; •​ 50 Forward ($8,000) to provide transportation for senior citizens; •​ Utica Center for Development ($23,000) for a youth sports mentoring program; •​ Safe Schools Mohawk Valley ($23,000) to implement a youth mentoring program at the Parkway Recreation Center; •​ Johnson Park Center ($21,000) to provide youth activities through a Drop-In Enrichment Youth Program; •​ Midtown Utica Community Center ($8,000) to support operation of a day camp in Old Forge; •​ Utica Youth Bureau ($32,700) to employ youth between the ages of 14 to 21 in a summer program •​ Utica Royalties Youth Program ($5,000) to fund youth development programs; •​ OnPoint for College ($38,000) to provide training and counseling services to prepare high school students for college; •​ For The Good, Inc. ($25,000) to launch the Teen Center for Arts & Education at the DeSales Center; •​ Safe Schools Mohawk Valley ($32,000) to continue funding to teach life skills, coping strategies and conflict resolution to students as Proctor; •​ Utica College Young Scholars Program ($38,000) to provide tutoring and mentoring to income-eligible at-risk youth; •​ Center for Family Life & Recovery ($8,000) to support a mental health/mentoring program; •​ Parkway Center/Elderlife ($9,584) to hire a manager for the Farmer’s Market at Chancellor Park.