| Work Detail |
Use it on time, or lose it. That’s what a federal agency has been telling the city about unspent grant money meant to help the needy. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the city has failed a timeliness test four out of the last eight program years which put millions of dollars of grant money at risk. As much as $26 million was sitting idle in city coffers. The money is part of the community development block grant program intended to go toward things like affordable housing. The city budget director told the City Council on Thursday that it has come to terms on an agreement with HUD promising the federal government a number of fixes. The city will get grant-management software, better managed contracts and track recipients, avoid funding projects that aren’t ready to move forward quickly, and report back to the feds monthly for the near future. |
