Mangano Awards Grant Funds To The Village Of Freeport For Youth & Senior Citizen Programs, Downtown Revitalization, And Residential & Commercial Rehabilitation

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today awarded a $651,080 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to the Village of Freeport. The grant will fund a variety of projects in the Village including improvements in the Central Business District and residential and commercial rehabilitation. The grant will also help fund a variety of youth programs, including the Summer Youth Employment Program, Girl Scouts of Nassau County, The Cedarmore Corp., and Freeport Little League.

“Part of the foundation for great communities is basic infrastructure, including road improvements and the rehabilitation of community buildings as well as providing services for our youth,” stated County Executive Mangano. “The CDBG program does just that and also encourages housing rehabilitation and homeownership, making it an extremely versatile tool in revitalizing villages like Freeport.”

“The residents of Freeport greatly appreciate the assistance from Nassau County. Without the County’s continued assistance in providing CDBG funding, and more, Freeport’s social programming would not be able to assist the residents in need. These are challenging times for many residents, organizations and businesses so it is imperative that this type of funding be maintained. Any cuts to funding could harm the Village,” said Freeport Mayor Andrew Hardwick. “I would like to thank County Executive Edward P. Mangano for his continued help in working with me and helping Freeport continue to be a great place to live, work, and play.”

Allocations for the Village of Freeport include:

• $232,080 for Commercial Rehabilitation including improvements to commercial building facades in the Central Business District, North Main Street and other areas determined to be in need of renovation to improve business opportunities;
• $180,000 for Residential Rehabilitation including maintaining the stock of affordable housing for low & moderate income homeowners to eliminate code violations and make other needed improvements;
• $116,000 for General program management, oversight and monitoring of the CDBG Program;
• $19,000 to Long Island Cares, Inc. for staff and operational costs for the emergency outreach food program;
• $16,000 to the Summer Youth Employment Program to provide programs and services to address the needs of youth via a summer youth employment program;
• $13,000 to Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) to provide programs and services to address the needs of senior citizens, youth and other extremely low, low and moderate income persons, as well as operational costs, rent, supplies, food and other necessities for the soup kitchen;
• $10,000 for Liberty Park for the provisions of new and improved public facilities and infrastructure improvements to improve the environment for households in the Liberty Park Apartment Complex;
• $8,000 to Refuge Apostolic Church for staff, operating, supplies and other costs associated with the food pantry;
• $7,000 to EOC Inc. for staff, operating, equipment and vehicle rental, and other costs associated with the After-School Basketball Program;
• $5,000 for the acquisition of blighted and substandard structures in the Central Business District and village-wide. Sites to be determined in accordance with the design plan for downtown revitalization, the North Main Street Revitalization Plan and existing conditions report;
• $5,000 to Hi Hello Child Center for the provisions of new and improved public facilities and infrastructure improvements to improve the existing buildings at 134 S. Ocean Ave., and 212 S. Ocean Ave.;
• $5,000 to Our Holy Redeemer Parish Outreach to provide programs and services to address the needs of senior citizens, youth and other extremely low, low & moderate income persons, as well as for staff and supply costs for outreach and emergency services;
• $5,000 Eager to Serve (ETS) for staff, operating and supply costs for a program for over 30 homeless women;
• $5,000 to The Cedarmore Corp., for staff, operating, supplies and related costs for after school and tutorial programs, as well as the Big Brothers Youth Program;
• $4,000 to the Freeport Historical Society for exterior and interior building improvements consistent with maintaining the integrity of the building and the society’s archive collection;
• $4,000 to the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence to provide programs and services to address the needs of senior citizens, youth and other extremely low, low & moderate income persons, as well as for staff and material costs for the training with the Village of Freeport Police Department;
• $3,000 to the Girl Scouts of Nassau County to provide programs and services to address the needs of senior citizens, youth and other extremely low, low & moderate income persons. As well as for staff and operational costs for the expansion of the “Personal Power” program for girls ages 5-7;
• $3,000 to Harvest for the World to provide programs and services to address the needs of senior citizens, youth and other extremely low, low & moderate income persons;
• $2,500 to the Freeport Little League for staff, operating, supplies and other costs for the baseball and softball programs;
• $2,500 to the Potters Association to provide programs and services to address the needs of at risk youth and families;
• $2,000 for legal and other soft costs related to the development of sites;
• $2,000 to Island Harvest for operational, staff, equipment and other costs for the soup kitchen; and
• $2,000 to the Salvation Army for staff, operating, supplies and other costs for the heating assistance program and Hygiene Kit Program.

The CDBG Program is a Federal entitlement program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. CDBG funds can be used for a wide range of activities related to housing, economic development, commercial revitalization, public services, infrastructure and public facilities. An estimated 90% of CDBG funds are used annually to benefit very low, low and moderate income individuals.