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Vision for Change
Every citizen in Longmont should have an opportunity to obtain safe, sanitary and decent housing. A suitable living environment should be provided through economic development expansion and new job creation opportunities. The City will work toward preserving and maintaining its existing housing stock and will aid in the production and/or rehabilitation of decent and affordable housing to accommodate housing needs for special populations such as elderly, disabled, homeless, mentally ill, and others. Opportunities to assist first time home buyers will be expanded and the City will strive to improve recreational opportunities, city image, neighborhood security and infrastructure.
The City’s strategic plan is based on the insight and perspective of different organizations in the community such as the Longmont Housing Authority, the Boulder County Housing Authority, St. Vrain Community Council, Boulder County Mental Health Center, Longmont Coalition for Women in Crisis, Emergency Family Assistance Association, the OUR Center, the Inn Between, the Center for People with Disabilities and many individual citizens. The priorities that resulted are summarized below.
Housing Priorities
The priority housing and homeless objectives for Longmont are:
Nonhousing Community Development Priorities
The top priorities are for infrastructure improvements, recreational needs, and city image improvements to be funded through the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Water and street improvements top the list of high priority infrastructure needs. Together these will cost about $55 million. Longmont also plans a major recreational needs enhancement through the new construction of a rec center, a new museum and improvements to a community park and the senior center. These improvements are estimated to total over $22 million. The City also estimates that it will need about $2.2 million for crime awareness and teaching peace programs, $1.1 million for sidewalk improvements, $700,000 for commercial-industrial rehabilitation, $12 million for Solid Waste improvements and over $1.3 million for various public services. Another important area for the City is its Youth Services. There is an estimated $2.2 million needed to provide adequate youth counseling, activities, asset training, facilities, etc.
Antipoverty Strategy
The City’s goal is to help at least 100 families a year break the cycle of poverty through supporting efforts of nonprofit agencies. To do this the City will work with organizations dedicated to assisting low income persons and families. The primary organizations are Longmont Coalition for Women in Crisis, the OUR Center, the Inn Between, and El Comité.
The City provides public and supportive service assistance through the CDBG program and Human Service Agency funding from the City’s General Fund. Both of these funding programs assist agencies with comprehensive anti-poverty programs to help low income families. Many of the programs include multi-service programs to get low income families back into the main stream. They include help with job readiness, job placement, educational training, counseling, child care, food clothing, housing assistance and a host of other service to help families and individuals escape the cycle of poverty.
Housing and Community Development Resources
Longmont receives about $500,000 as a CDBG entitlement community. CDBG funds are the main source of funding for all publicly assisted housing projects. Longmont is not a direct recipient of HOME funding or other Federal grants.
The Longmont Housing Authority (LHA) has an annual contribution contract of about $3 million with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City’s police department will receive about $180,000 from the Department of Justice’s Universal Hiring grant program.
The Colorado Division of Housing’s HOME program supports the City’s Down Payment Assistance Program and the Emergency Shelter Grant Program funds many Longmont nonprofit agencies that provide homeless assistance.
Coordination of Strategic Plan
In implementing the Consolidated Plan, Longmont will coordinate with a number of agencies and organizations including the OUR Center, the Center for People with Disabilities, Thistle Community Housing, the State Division of Housing, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
There are nine nonprofit agencies that will assist the City in carrying out
its housing strategy. All receive some amount of CDBG funding. The agencies
include the Center for People with Disabilities, Habitat for Humanity, the
Inn Between, the Boulder County Mental Health Center, the OUR Center, the
Boulder County Housing Authority, Longmont Coalition for Women in Crisis,
the Longmont Housing Authority, and Thistle Community Housing.
Kathy Fedler
CDBG and Affordable Housing Programs Coordinator
350 Kimbark Street
Longmont, CO 80501
(303) 651-8736
(303) 651-8590 - fax
email: kathy.fedler@ci.longmont.co.us