City Seeking Residents’ Feedback on Federal Grant Funds

NEW BEDFORD – The City’s Office of Housing & Community Development is seeking input from residents on how to prioritize federal grant funds as part of its development of a federally required five-year spending plan.

The City annually receives federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through its Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, and Emergency Solutions Grant programs to address the needs of low- and moderate-income individuals, households, and families.

The City’s OHCD has prepared a comprehensive community needs survey to collect public input as it develops a five-year plan to guide the spending of these federal funds. The plan, known as a Consolidated Plan, will identify the City’s housing, community and economic development needs, available resources, and strategies to address identified needs using the HUD grant funds.

The survey also allows City residents to identify and prioritize key issues in their neighborhoods and the City. Survey results will be combined with feedback from public meetings, focus groups and other avenues of outreach to develop the Consolidated Plan.

The survey is available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole and K’iché, and is available in both paper and online versions. It can be accessed online on the OHCD website, https://www.newbedford-ma.gov/community-development/fy2025-fy2029-consolidated-plan/, or pick up a paper version at the Downtown, Howland Green and Wilks libraries. Surveys are also available at City Hall, 133 William St., and the Office of Housing & Community Development, 608 Pleasant St.

Anyone with questions about the survey or the plan can contact OCHD Director Joshua Amaral at 508-979-1500 or Joshua.Amaral@newbedford-ma.gov.