Haywood County announced on April 21 that the public hearing regarding the closeout of its Community Development Block Grant projects has been rescheduled to May 4 at the Haywood County Historic Courthouse in Waynesville. The hearing, originally set for April 20, will address the completion of Phase I upgrades at the Clyde Armory Emergency Shelter and a rental and utility assistance project funded under federal housing programs.
The upcoming hearing is significant as it marks the conclusion of projects funded by two grants: a $705,968 Community Development Block Grant–Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) and a $454,618 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-D). These initiatives provided emergency shelter improvements and direct assistance to low-to-moderate income households during critical times.
Project activities included utility and rental or mortgage assistance benefiting 94 households identified as low-to-moderate income. Facility upgrades at the decommissioned Clyde National Guard Armory involved kitchen renovations, bathroom improvements, storage enhancements, new appliances, generator installation, security systems, fire alarms, flooring updates, roof repairs or replacements, and asbestos abatement. The armory served more than 100 individuals during Hurricane Helene and continues to support emergency management services staffing.
Both projects meet requirements set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Urgent Needs National Objective for addressing immediate threats to community health or welfare when no other funding is available. Mountain Projects managed delivery of public services assistance throughout these efforts.
Community members are encouraged to attend the May 4 hearing to provide feedback on past uses of CDBG funds or suggest future needs. Written comments submitted before or after the meeting will receive responses within ten working days. A presentation detailing project outcomes will be available for review after May 5 at the county finance office.
Recent educational data shows that in Haywood County school districts during the 2022-23 school year,26% of senior students taking science portion of ACT were considered college-ready; 27.9% among juniors. For reading,42.1% of seniors were college-ready compared with 40.8% among juniors. In math,26% of seniors reached college readiness while 28.3% did so among juniors according to state education officials.
Haven B. Muse signed off on this notice as Deputy Clerk to the Board for Haywood County Commissioners.
