Cranston, Warwick get federal grants

Cranston and Warwick will receive allocations totaling nearly $2 million, to address issues primarily affecting low- and moderate-income populations, in this year’s disbursement of federal Community Development Block Grant money, Sen. Jack Reed’s office announced yesterday.

Cranston has been awarded $1,057,571 and Warwick $895,871, according to Reed, who said in a statement that the CD grants "help support home ownership, provide social services and improve the quality of life in communities throughout the state."

The grants program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, takes into account the proportions of a community’s low-income population in awarding money to help provide housing, services and economic opportunities to those who often struggle to make ends meet.

"[The grant] is hugely important," said Maria G. Sorman, Cranston’s director of community development. "You can use [the money] at your own determination. We do what we feel is more important with it."

Cranston will use the grant for a variety of projects, some of which began early last month, Sorman said. Some of the money will be used to help low-income householders make their homes more energy efficient, to develop more affordable housing and for sidewalk repair and replacement. Also sharing in the grant will be the St. Vincent DePaul emergency food shelter, a scholarship for local college-bound students, therapy programs at the Hope Alzheimer’s Center, projects at the Cranston Senior Center and renovation efforts at the Sprague Mansion.

This year’s award is about $31,000 lower than what Cranston received last year, Sorman said. In the past the money was used to make several buildings handicapped accessible, preserve the city’s historic architecture and carry out lead-paint abatement work.

Kevin Sullivan, program coordinator for Warwick’s Office of Housing and Community Development, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

njayakri@projo.com