The Erie County Department of Environment & Planning has announced upcoming citizen forums to help determine the needs and priorities of low- and moderate-income residents residing within the Erie County Community Development (\u201cCD\u201d) Block Grant Consortium. The consortium is comprised of 34 municipalities, excluding the City of Buffalo, the Towns of Amherst, Cheektowaga, Hamburg and Tonawanda and their villages. The information gathered at the forums will assist the County\u2019s Department of Environment and Planning in preparing the 2027 Community Development application to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.<\/p>\n
The four public forums are scheduled for:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013 Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Town of Boston \u2013 Town Hall, Court Room \u2013 8500 Boston State Road.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lackawanna Public Library, Community Room,\u00a0560 Ridge Road.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Village of Depew, Village Hall, Council Chamber Room, 85 Manitou Street.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Monday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town of Hamburg, Town Hall Conference Room #1, 6100 South Park Avenue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese public forums are designed to give residents the opportunity to advocate for what is important to them, add their own voice to the community discussion, and let officials know what they value right in their own neighborhoods,\u201d said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. \u201cCitizen participation is essential to the process, though, and the more people who speak out, the better. I encourage residents to attend and make their voices and concerns heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
These public forums provide an opportunity to increase citizen awareness and participation in the Consortium\u2019s Federal Community Development program by allowing the general public, as well as agency advocates for low- and moderate-income individuals, the elderly and handicapped to offer suggestions and information on the needs of these populations to county and municipal officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Housing needs, such as affordable housing and housing for special populations (the homeless, the elderly, disabled persons, persons living with AIDS, and public housing residents), and community and economic development needs, such as transportation, jobs, community facilities and infrastructure (sewer, water, drainage and roads), will be prime topics for discussion at the forums.<\/p>\n
These forums will also serve as countywide public meetings for Erie County\u2019s Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Solutions Grant and HOME Investment Partnership programs.\u00a0 Each will cover four areas: Housing, Public\/Human Services, Community\/Neighborhood Development, and Economic Development Needs. There will also be a review of CD Program Performance, as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.<\/p>\n
Information obtained from the meetings will be used to formulate the Erie County Consortium\u2019s Community Development 2027 Action Plan. The annual Action Plan process will occur in early 2027.<\/p>\n