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BY CAROL ARNETT

The Florissant City Council has approved the budget for the Community Development Block Grant for fiscal year 2008. Each year the city receives the grant, which is based on population. The estimated value of the 2008 grant is $200,000.

Housing and Community Development Director Denise Mandle presented the proposed budget to the council last week. The budget is determined by the Citizen’s Participation Commission. Mandle said that in the past several years, the city has used most of the money for the Home Improvement Loan Program, and 2008 would also use the bulk of the grant, $150,000, for The Home Improvement Loan Program.

Three private groups will receive money from the grant under the proposed budget. Jamestown New Horizons, which provides horseback riding lessons to disabled Florissant residents, would receive $3,500.

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) would receive $5,000. The money would be used to provide materials for wheelchair ramps built by volunteer police officers and firefighters. Money would also be used to purchase material used to make home repairs by the group.

Room at the Inn would receive $1,500, which would be used to purchase twelve mattresses, pillows, sheets and pillowcases for the emergency homeless shelter.

The remainder of the grant, $40,000, would be used for administration of the grant.

Mandle said that the city would take applications for the Home Improvement Loan Program during the month of March. “It is not first come, first serve,” she said. All applications received in March would be evaluated. The program provides loans of up to $5,000 to income-eligible residents. If the resident stays in the house for five years after the loan, the loan is forgiven.

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