Sandra Gober, manager of community development, stands in front of one of newly built houses in this 2010 file photo.IF YOU GO* What: 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan input meeting.* When: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 23.* Where: South Chattanooga Center, 1151 W. 40th St.* For more information go to www.chattanooga.gov then go to Office of Economic and Community Development.
City officials sought input from residents Thursday before drafting a five-year plan to spend millions of dollars from HUD for housing and economic development.
Sandra Gober, Chattanooga’s manager of community development, met with about a dozen residents to get input for how the dollars should be spent before developing the city’s 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan.
The city will host another community input meeting at the Southside Recreation Center at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Residents also can complete an online survey until Oct. 30.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gave about $13.4 million for the plan in 2010-2014. About 95 percent of that money was used for housing and social services, said Gober.
The majority of the money has to be spent to improve the lives of low- to moderate-income people and the areas where they live, said Gober.
It is distributed through Community Development Block Grants, HOME Investment Partnership Programs and Emergency Solutions Grant.
Grant recipients must have a 501 C-3 status. She expects the city will start taking applications from agencies applying for the money in November.
East Chattanooga resident and homeowner Elise Walker said she came to the meeting learn more about how the grant money is spent.
Rod Young of Sherman Heights asked if money could be used to fix up run-down properties.
Tarashenda Harris of East Chattanooga said she keeps going to meetings because she wants to give input until her voice is heard.
But some attendants like Tiffany Rankins said she was disappointed.
“I keep looking for a real thing,” she said. “It’s like they have meetings to say they have meetings.”
She said she is concerned about more affordable housing being available to displaced residents.
Gil Shropshire, president of the Alton Park Neighborhood Association, left the meeting early.
“It’s just a whole bunch of smoke,” he said before walking out the door.
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 757-6431.