Community Development Block Grant Funding

The purpose of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is to revitalize low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, to expand affordable housing and economic opportunities and to improve community facilities and services. Through participation in the Adams County Urban County Consortium, the City of Thornton receives an annual allocation of federal CDBG funding. To learn more about CDBG, visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development website at www.hud.gov.

2008 CDBG Projects

• Volunteer Home Improvement Programs: The Volunteer Home Improvement Programs encompass a variety of volunteer-based programs, including the Help for Homes Program and Rebuilding Days. CDBG funding allocated to the Volunteer Home Improvement Programs provides assistance to citizens to maintain or improve their homes through volunteer-based efforts.
  The goals of the Volunteer Home Improvement Programs are to improve the living conditions of low- and moderate-income senior and disabled citizens, to improve the physical conditions of Thornton’s neighborhoods, and to build a sense of community among Thornton residents. The Volunteer Home Improvement Programs help to realize goals of the Comprehensive Plan and of the Housing Master Plan by improving the City’s housing stock and helping to maintain healthy, stable neighborhoods. Since the creation of the Volunteer Home Improvement Programs by City Council in 2001, over 100 homeowners have been assisted through the programs.

• Homeowner Housing Rehabilitation Program: The Homeowner Housing Rehabilitation Programs funds the rehabilitation of single-family homes for low- and moderate-income residents in the City of Thornton. Administered by the Adams County Office of Community Development, the program provides low-interest loans or grants to qualified homeowners to undertake repairs and improvements that would otherwise be unaffordable. Example of repairs includes roof replacement, furnace and boiler replacement, and major electrical and plumbing repairs.

The Homeowner Housing Rehabilitation Program implements the goals and policies of the Thornton Comprehensive Plan and of the Housing Master Plan, which call for maintaining healthy, stable neighborhoods as well as providing incentives for housing rehabilitation. Over 80 Thornton homeowners have been assisted through this program.
• Accessibility Improvement Projects: The Accessibility Improvement Projects funds improvements that are needed to increase accessibility for handicapped people and to facilitate access to bus stops, schools and other public facilities. To determine the specific projects that will be constructed in 2008, staff reviewed the CDBG Planning Study completed in 2004 in which citizens and staff identified areas in need of greater accessibility. The information gathered by the Infrastructure Department as part of their inventory and assessment of streets and sidewalks, etc was also utilized to develop and prioritize projects. It is anticipated that areas in the Parkland neighborhood, west of I-25, will have several sections of sidewalks installed in 2008.

• Streetscape Improvements: The Streetscape Improvement Project will fund improvements to the physical condition of a low- and moderate-income area through additional landscaping along Eppinger Blvd. and Hoffman Way in the Original Thornton neighborhood. This will be a five-year phased implementation beginning in 2008 with the design of the landscaping and construction.

• Neighborhood Association Development Project: The Neighborhood Association Development Project will promote the development of neighborhood groups and provide opportunities to improve communication between the City and its citizens. The project is part of the City’s neighborhood revitalization efforts and will be coordinated through the Community Resource Center (CRC). CRC has already been working within Adams County to assist with similar activities and has over 25 years of experience in neighborhood outreach.

• Foreclosure Prevention Project: The Foreclosure Prevention Project will fund additional services and programs that are currently administered by the Adams County Housing Authority (ACHA) for housing counseling services. This will include one-on-one counseling sessions to families at risk of losing their home due to foreclosure and informative workshops that cover the foreclosure process and options for assistance. ACHA has conducted three Foreclosure Prevention Workshops for Thornton residents in 2006 and 2007. Four out of five citizens who receive counseling are able to stay in their home.