Commission moves forward with grant plan

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners recently approved the Community Development Block Grant Action Plan to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The action plan identifies specific projects that are seeking funding from the regular formula allocation of CDBG funds for the 2021 program year. The CDBG program is a flexible program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. It was enacted in 1974 and provides annual grants on a formula basis to more than 1,200 general units of local government and states.

For the 2021 program year, Cherokee County was allocated $1.2 million and intends to fund 15 projects. Those projects include seven public facilities: city of Canton’s Canton Creek Pedestrian Bridge, land acquisition for affordable housing for Habitat for Humanity, facility improvements for the

Cherokee County Historical Society, minor improvements for Heritage Presbyterian Church, minor rehabilitation of a public facility at Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, Phase 2 of the Pea Ridge Community Center and allocated funds for minor/emergency home repair. The public facility grant fund total is $835,382.

Nonprofit agencies that have requested CDBG funds in the current program year are Bethesda Community Clinic, the Boys & Girls Club, the Anna Crawford Children’s Center, Goodwill of North Georgia, MUST Ministries and the YMCA, totaling about $180,000.

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