Community Development Announcements

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December 16, 2008

The City of Portsmouth’s Citizens Advisory Committee will be seeking ideas for new Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) projects at a public hearing held at 6:00 pm on Thursday, January 8th in Conference Room A in Portsmouth City Hall.  This is public hearing is held as part of the development of the FY 2009-2010 CDBG Annual Plan and Budget.  The Citizens Advisory Committee is responsible for developing the CDBG Annual Plan and recommending it to the City Manager for approval.

At this hearing, the Community Development staff will describe the CDBG project eligibility requirements and solicit input from the public regarding new projects.  CDBG projects must benefit Portsmouth families who earn very low, low and moderate incomes.  CDBG funds can be used to carry out projects in City neighborhoods where more than half of the residents earn low or moderate incomes and to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Residents who would like more information, or are unable to attend the public hearing on January 8th and would like to share their comments, may call David Moore, Assistant Community Development Director at 610-7226.

Lafayette School Renovation Kick-off to be Held

November 5, 2008
                                                                                                                                               

PORTSMOUTH – On Friday November 7th at 3:00 p.m. the City and the Portsmouth Housing Authority will hold a kick-off event at the Lafayette School to celebrate the beginning of renovations to the former Lafayette School building.  Mayor Thomas G. Ferrini will attend and members of the City Council and members of the Portsmouth Housing Authority Board of Directors and the Citizens Advisory Committee are invited.

The Portsmouth Housing Authority and the City have been working in partnership to redevelop the former Lafayette School building into 10 units of senior housing.  All of the units will be rented to seniors age 62 or over who earn less than 60% of Median Family Income. 

In October 2008, the City and the Lafayette School Limited Partnership, the entity established by the Portsmouth Housing Authority to develop the project, entered into a 98-year lease for the use of the Lafayette School Building, which has been vacant since 1998.

Following a competitive bidding process the Portsmouth Housing Authority selected Ricci Construction and construction on the project began on October 14, 2008.  The project cost is $2.6 million and will be funded in part with Low Income Housing Tax Credits as well as federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Federal Home Loan Bank funds.  The Northern New England Housing Investment fund served as the developer consultant and tax-credit equity investor for the project.

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