HOUSING GRANT FOR CITY IS APPROVED

When Steve Williams is busy, areas in Cape Girardeau that are blighted soon become brightened.

Williams, who is the city's housing assistance coordinator, received notice Tuesday from the Missouri Department of Economic Development that he will be even busier in the next two years.

"We have received word that we will get $383,975 for the first year of a two-year Locust-Maple Neighborhood Restoration Project," said Williams, who drafted the application for the Community Development Block Grant. The grant for the entire project is $734,000.

"The basis of the total grant is to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing for low- to moderate-income residents and tenants," said Williams, who is about to work on his sixth community development block grant since 1982.

Williams will hold a public meeting to accept applications from residents and tenants who live in the Locust-Maple neighborhood, which is bounded by Beaudean Lane on the west, Locust Street on the south, Fort Street north to Elm Street, east to Giboney Avenue, then north to Maple Street, west to Ellis Street and south to Elm.

The neighborhood is affected by blighted conditions resulting from substandard housing conditions, inadequate water supply system, inadequate streets, sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

Williams said the public meeting will take place in July.

"Depending on a resident or tenant's income, they would have to qualify under the community development block grant program's standards in order for us to do work on their house," said Williams.

The Locust-Maple Neighborhood Project will provide for the rehabilitation of 70 substandard housing units occupied by low and moderate income residents.

The grant also will fund the replacement of about 1,700 feet of four-inch cast iron water main on Locust Street. The city will abandon a two-inch galvanized water main and re-connect to the existing eight-inch main on Ranney Street between Maple and Elm Streets.

"The first year we will do approximately 35 housing units, put in a new water line, and remove the lead from the existing pipes," said Williams.

Missouri state Rep Mary Kasten was the first to learn of the neighborhood grant. "This money will remodel about 70 houses, repair streets and do needed work in the south of Cape over the next two years," Kasten said.

According to Joe Driskill, director of the Department of Economic Development, the grant amounts are based on discussions between the block grant staff and the city officials.

"As in years past, the amount of funds requested for the overall block grant competition far exceeded the amount available -- about four to one for this year's funds," said Driskill.

The city will pave approximately 540 feet of alley that provides access to several housing units. It also will install about 780 feet of curb and gutter improvements and about 521 feet of sidewalk.

In addition, the city, as part of its "in-kind match," will pave about 820 feet of street in the project area.

Williams said one of the benefits to the block grant program over the years has been the effect the improvements have on housing that abuts rehabilitated homes.

"When you make improvements to homes in an area such as this one, it usually causes residents in other neighborhoods to make improvements," said Williams. "Then when a bank takes a look at those neighborhoods, it begins to see how they are a good investment for loans."