Hud Funds Shared By Just 28 Applicants

Sewers, sidewalks, swing sets and streets were among the federally funded projects approved Tuesday by Spokane County commissioners.

Every year, the county gets more than $2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for projects to benefit low-income residents.

This year, 49 private agencies and local governments applied for shares of $2.18 million, said Kasey Kramer, county director of Community Services.

A citizens committee studied all the requests and decided to give money to 28 of the applicants. Commissioners approved that list Tuesday, and praised the volunteer committee for its work.

“They (the applicants) all have great programs and they all have people in need,” said Commissioner John Roskelley, who lamented there wasn’t enough money to fund them all.

Social service agencies were the most likely to have their requests rejected. HUD stipulates they can get no more than 15 percent of the money, with 85 percent going to streets, sewer and other community improvements.

The Women’s Drop-In Center, Samaritan Counseling Center, Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children and Spokane Guilds School were among the agencies that filed applications but got nothing.

The Spokane Sexual Assault Center and Spokane AIDS Network got less than requested, at $10,000 and $30,600 respectively.

Some towns requested funding for several projects, and had mixed results.

Airway Heights, for instance, received the $12,000 it requested for playground equipment but not $237,000 for a new water tank.

Medical Lake got nothing for a play area it wanted to build, and $36,112 of the $174,567 it requested for sidewalks and storm drains. But the committee granted the city’s request for $110,000 to pave Lake Street and $5,528 for emergency services.

Other approved projects that topped $100,000:

$405,000 to help low-income county residents cover the cost of connecting their homes to public sewers. The money is repaid when the owners sell their homes.

$245,000 toward replacing Spangle’s inadequate sewage lagoons this year. The new sewage system will cost about $1.2 million, with $552,000 from a state grant and $278,000 from a state-issued loan.

$189,000 to replace a 60-year-old water tank in Latah with one that is five times larger. Paint on the inside of the old tank contains lead, the roof leaks and it provides inadequate water pressure for fighting fires.

Last year, the town received $142,000 in community development money that has been set aside for the project. The new tank is expected to cost $371,000, leaving Latah’s 225 residents to pay $40,000.

$110,000 to replace 1,800 feet of leaky water pipes in Cheney. The town had requested $158,180.

$100,000 for the Spokane Neighborhood Action Program to help poor people repair their homes. SNAP issues loans of up to $8,000 at 3 percent interest.

, DataTimes