City of Haleyville seeking eligible residents for CDBG Clean Up program

HALEYVILLE - The window of opportunity for a new Community Development Block Grant clean-up program has opened, but only for a limited time, as residents with properties to be cleaned are urged to reach out to the city to show a need for the funding the city is seeking.
The CDBG Clean Up program has just opened, and residents with properties in need of clean up  or structures on the property to be demolished, are being urged to contact City Clerk Christy Harbin at 205-486-3121, to see if they meet the criteria for the program, urged Haleyville Mayor Dr. Ray Boshell.
Deadline for making application is June 1, so city officials stress that time is of the essence to attempt to get as many properties on the list for demolition or cleanup as possible, in order to help the city more likely be able to obtain the grant, Harbin stated.
“They need to contact me and fill out a grant application right now, while we are preparing for the grant,” Harbin stressed.
“The grant submission will be July 22,” Harbin added. “Right now, we just have to show that we have participation in this grant and a need for the grant, so we’re in the process of compiling that information right now.
“There is no cost,” Harbin continued. “We will clean up the property and they (owners) will retain the property for the use that they would like to use it for.”
Although a local team found during a tour of the city that Zone 1 of multi-step revitalization program, included cleaning up eyesore properties in the south Haleyville area and the need to attract more businesses to downtown, the new clean up program is for the entire city, Boshell explained.
“In the past, you had a few times where people had property that was in bad shape or unsafe,” Boshell said. 
“They didn’t have the money to do it, and the city wanted it cleaned up, but they couldn’t do it because you are not supposed to work on private property, because of legality issues,” he added.
“This program is a key piece of our larger revitalization plan, one focused on improving the appearance, safety and long-term growth of our city,” Boshell then emphasized.
“One of the most visible challenges we face is the presence of old, dilapidated and unsafe structures that have become eyesores in our neighborhoods and downtown areas,” the mayor continued.
“These properties not only affect property values, but they also impact community pride and future investments,” Boshell explained.
The  CDBG Clean Up program is administered through the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments, which works with communities such as Haleyville, to secure and manage funding projects that focus on improving quality of life, Boshell indicated.