Although Chapel Hill is celebrating projects supported by a federal grant this week, it’s still uncertain how much of these funds the town will receive in the upcoming year.
Because the federal government must cut spending, Chapel Hill officials are predicting a decrease in the money they would normally receive from the Community Development Block Grant program, which is being celebrated as part of National Community Development Week.
The program, run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, aims to facilitate the development of living environments for low- and middle-income people.
The federal department won’t say how much money the town will receive through the grant until the federal budget is resolved, so it is uncertain how much the funds will be decreased, said Megan Wooley, town housing and neighborhood services planner.
“We’re hoping it’s zero percent,” she said.
Chapel Hill has received money from the program since 1975.
In the 2010-11 fiscal year, the town received more than $640,000 from the program. The money was allocated among 11 nonprofit organizations.
Chapel Hill has received similar amounts of grant money every year, Wooley said.
Even if the town receives fewer funds later this year, the money will still benefit the area, Wooley said.
