PRESS RELEASE DETAIL

For Immediate Release

Release Date: 03/28/2013

City-Parish Action Plan 2013 Public Hearing

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
CITY OF BATON ROUGE & PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE
& BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN PARISHES
ACTION PLAN 2013

The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge Office of Community Development (OCD) is undertaking the planning process for submission of its Action Plan 2013 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Action Plan 2013 is the planning and application requirement for four Community Planning and Development formula grant programs. The programs are the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons With Aids (HOPWA). HOPWA grants are available for the metropolitan area consisting of the parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. Helena, Livingston, Ascension, Iberville, and Pointe Coupee. All other programs are restricted to East Baton Rouge Parish excluding the incorporated areas that are eligible for other funding under the CDBG State and Small Cities program.

The Action Plan 2013 details the projects that the City-Parish will propose to undertake during the fourth year of the five-year Consolidated Plan & Strategy 2010-2014. While program year 2013 funding has not been established at this time, OCD estimates funding to be approximately; CDBG $3,232,928, HOME $1,282,312, HOPWA $2,552,872, and ESG $324,899 based on the past year funding level and excluding the potential effects of the 2013 federal sequester. The purpose of this notice is to announce the time and location of the public hearings for the planning process. There will be four public hearings for the purpose of soliciting public comment on housing and community development needs, presenting proposed activities, and describing the Action Plan 2013, prior to the City-Parish Metropolitan Council authorizing the submission of the Plan.

The public hearings will be held at the following locations:

April 4, 2013 Description of planning process, anticipated funding, programs covered, and solicitation of public comment on housing and community development needs. The Hearing will be held at the Plank Road Civic Center, 4523 Plank Road, Baton Rouge, Room 4, Baton Rouge La 70805. Public Hearing starts at 6:30pm or immediately following the Citizens Advisory Council for Community Development (CAC) meeting.

May 2, 2013 Provide information on the Pre-Applications process for funding, Question and Answer session. The Hearing will be held at the Eden Park Branch Library, 5131 Greenwell Springs Rd., Baton Rouge, La 70806 and begin at 6:30pm or immediately following the Citizens Advisory Council for Community Development (CAC) meeting.

June 6, 2013 Provide updates on the Action Plan document, Question and answer session. The Hearing will be held at the Carver Branch Library, 720 Terrace St., Baton Rouge, La 70802 and begin at 6:30pm or immediately following the Citizens Advisory Council for Community Development (CAC) meeting.

The fourth and final hearing will be held during the regularly scheduled City-Parish Metropolitan Council Meeting at the City-Parish Governmental Building, 222 St. Louis St., Baton Rouge, 3rd Floor Council Chamber on July 24, 2013 at 4:00 pm - Metro Council hearing and final deadline for public comment.

Additional information can be accessed from the Office of Community Development website at www.brgov.com/dept/ocd. Written comments on the Action Plan 2013 may also be submitted to the Office of Community Development, P.O. Box 1471, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1471 or emailed to ocd@brgov.com. Persons requiring special assistance or accommodations at the public hearings should contact Mary Brown or Gladys Williams at (225) 389-3039 (voice) or (225) 389-3082 (TDD) at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.