The Chandler City Council recently approved an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Chandler and Maricopa County to receive almost $3 milllion in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As a member of the Maricopa HOME Consortium, Chandler will receive these allocated federal funds for two programs: the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which preserves and increases the supply of affordable housing opportunities for low- to moderate-income households; and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program American Rescue Plan funds, which provide additional funding through the American Rescue Plan for homelessness assistance and supportive services.

The funding allocation for the HOME program totals about $1.27 million and will benefit the following services:

• The city’s Housing and Redevelopment Division will receive about $328,000 in HOME funds to continue operations for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Chandler.
• The Newtown Community Development Corporation  will receive $307,781 in HOME funds to provide affordable homeownership opportunities for two Chandler first-time homebuyers who are low to-moderate-income and are priced out of the current housing market.
• The Affordable Rental Movement of  the Save the Family Foundation of Arizona will receive about $558,000 in HOME funds to purchase, rehabilitate and maintain two single-family units for eligible Chandler families to rent. The city will receive almost $800,000 in HOME funds to administer the program.

The funding allocation for the HOME-ARP program totals $1.72 million, of which $1.58 million will support the new construction of the city’s Villas on McQueen development project, as well as provide six new units of affordable rental housing in Chandler for qualifying households.

Also, the city will receive about $140,000 in HOME-ARP funds to administer the program.

For more information about Chandler’s HOME Investment Partnership Program, visit chandleraz.gov/HomeGrants, or contact the city’s Community Development Senior Program Manager Karin Bishop at karin.bishop@chandleraz.gov.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.