The Verde Valley Habitat For Humanity received the Community Development Block Grant at the Jan. 17 Cottonwood City Council meeting.
The CDBG provides approximately $400,000 in funds from the Arizona Department of Housing and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These funds can be used to finance the construction or renovation of infrastructure projects, community facilities, public services, affordable housing projects and the creation of new jobs.
The meeting was the second public hearing of the grant selection process, at which community organizations presented five projects for which they were requesting funding. The Verde Valley Senior Center, which was built over 100 years ago, was looking to fund its brick restoration project. Verde Valley Habitat For Humanity requested funds for their critical home repair program. Steps To Recovery Homes proposed their transitional housing project for those who have completed substance abuse treatment, which helps to reduce the chance of a potential relapse by providing safe space and continued support.
The Parks and Recreation Department presented two projects, a proposal for an outdoor fitness campaign that would create an exercise system accessible to all, and a proposal to repair the skate park, which has seen ongoing damage.
Mayor Tim Elinski, Vice Mayor Debbie Wilden and council members Tosca Henry and Stephen Dewillis ranked Habitat for Humanity as their first choice. Council members Jackie Nairn and Helaine Kurot voted for Steps to Recovery Homes as their first choice. Council member Lisa DuVernay was absent. Elinski described how Habitat for Humanity has already proven to be successful and promotes home ownership and the beautification of neighborhoods.
In the final tally, Habitat for Humanity was ranked first, Steps to Recovery Homes was second and the senior center was third, followed by the skate park and outdoor fitness track.
Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity has been serving the community for almost 28 years, beginning with building homes and expanding to critical home repairs in 2016. The CDBG funds will be used for the latter program, which can cover anything from a hole in the ceiling to a full roof replacement. Many seniors apply for the program in order to get partial bathroom remodels to create walk-in showers, reducing the risk of falling.
Habitat for Humanity also does a lot of wheelchair ramps, and they have had many homeowners reach out and request their houses be painted because they will be evicted if they don’t, even though they own their homes.
“It’s a positive move for the city of Cottonwood to invest in keeping some of the houses that we have here,” VVHH executive director Tania Simms said. “We all know that we’re in a critical housing situation and to let some of those homes go would be pretty sad. It’s always more costly to build new.”
Most of the critical home repair program work is done by volunteers, with the exception of work that requires permits, which is subcontracted out.
For more information, visit vvhabitat.org.
