BREMERTON — The Bremerton City Council approved the 2016-2020 Kitsap County/City of Bremerton Regional Consolidated Plan at the Nov. 23 special meeting.
The consolidated plan must be adopted and submitted every five years, in compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations. The plan is a prerequisite to receiving federal funds and serves as the city’s application to HUD for those funds.
The approved plan includes a community needs assessment, housing market analysis, a strategic plan and an action plan.
“The action plan is a one-year document, which will detail how the funding that the City of Bremerton provides will meet the needs that were outlined in the strategic plan portion,” said Sarah Achaoui, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) manager, at the special meeting. “The action plan basically just outlines all of the needs of the strategic plan and will be adopted every year.”
This plan will take effect Jan. 1, 2016, and expire Dec. 31, 2020.
According to the consolidated plan packet, “The strategic plan addresses HUD’s goal to provide decent housing, a suitable living environment and expand economic opportunity.”
The most pressing need was identified as providing economic development and opportunity.
“By addressing concentrated areas of urban blight and deteriorating housing stock, Bremerton will be able to provide a sustainably healthy economic environment where a suitable living environment and decent, affordable housing opportunities are the norm,” the plan states.
The strategic plan prioritizes revitalizing targeted neighborhoods; improving and preserving affordable homeownership housing; expanding economic opportunities for very-low and low income Bremerton residents; abating slum and blight conditions downtown; and increasing homeownership opportunities for low-to-moderate income Bremerton residents.
The CDBG funds will go specifically toward housing and development projects in the city-designated target area (downtown Bremerton); the “slum and blight zone”; and city-wide economic development.
HOME funds will be utilized for improving and preserving affordable housing.
To learn more about the consolidated Kitsap County/Bremerton plan, visit www.ci.bremerton.wa.us/209/Consolidated-Planning.
