FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mayor Bob Stephens issued a proclamation at the Nov. 18 City Council Lunch recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant Program and the 30th anniversary of the Community Development Loan Program in Springfield. Overseen locally by the Citizens Advisory Committee for Community Development and administered by the City’s Planning & Development department, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) CDBG program provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. The City of Springfield has received more than $71 million in CDBG funding since 1974. Over the last 20 years in Springfield, $4.4 million in CDBG funds have been administered to programs such as Ozark Food Harvest, Community Partnership of the Ozarks, the Council of Churches of the Ozarks, Ozarks Community Action Corporation and the Urban Districts Alliance, to name just a few. “The CDBG program has done an amazing amount of good in our community over the last 40 years,” says Planning and Development Manager Brendan Griesemer. “In our community, CDBG funding has assisted with food pantries, homeless services, after-school care, domestic violence counseling, affordable housing loans, small business loans and other services too numerous to mention.” Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the City’s Community Development Loan Program has issued 220 loans to small businesses since its inception in 1984. “The Small Business Development Loan Program has resulted in the creation of more than 730 jobs and a more than $30.5 million investment into our community, which in turn, has leveraged an additional $63.3 million in private investment,” Griesemer says. Projects funded with small business development loans include The Coffee Ethic, Jamerson Millworks, Café Cusco, and renovation of downtown landmarks the Woodruff, Frisco and Heer’s buildings. The loan program also includes residential housing rehabilitation loans. To provide affordable-housing options to Springfield residents. More than 500 housing units have been rehabilitated, amounting to $10.6 million in investment. “The Affordable Housing Assistance Loan Program has provided safe and energy efficient housing to many residents who would not have been able to afford it,” Griesemer says. “We are proud to offer a means to assist Springfield citizens in maintaining their piece of the American dream.” # # # For more information, please contact Brendan Griesemer at 864-1695.Download photo of Planning staff with Mayor and proclamation. Cutline information: Front row, left to right: Randall Whitman, Glenda Troop, Brendan Griesemer, Mayor Bob Stephens, Melissa Barton, Amy Werland, Monica Meador. Back row, left to right (standing) – Ralph Rognstad, Jim Webb, Hannah Grubbs, Mary Lilly Smith, Ann Razer, Cheri Hagler, Judy White, Marti Fewell, Bob Jones, Duke McDonald, Bill Weaver, Renee Crouch.