Richland County seeking input for annual action plan

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An online meeting on Aug. 13 will address the needs of low- to moderate-income residents of Richland County.

The county’s Community Development Department will formulate its annual action plan for the 2020-2021 fiscal year during the meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. and will be open to the public via Zoom. The meeting, which will pinpoint project and activities to be funded through a pair of funding sources from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will also stream live on the county’s YouTube channel.

Community Development Block Grants, expected to total more than $1.6 million based on 2019-2020 fiscal year amounts, include funding for Operation One Touch, which helps residents with household repairs, as well as public service grants. HOME Investment Partnership funding, expected to total $754,220, includes support for the county’s homeownership assistance program and Richland Rebuild, a program which tears down unsafe housing and constructs new homes.

HUD must approve final funding amounts. Richland County residents are encouraged to provide input before or during the online meeting on how the federal funds should be used.

For a Zoom invite, email Lauren Hunter at hunter.lauren@richlandcountysc.gov. Comments may also be emailed to Hunter or mailed to Hunter’s attention at Richland County Government, Community Development Department, 2020 Hampton St., Suite 3063, P.O. Box 192, Columbia, SC 29202.

Residents can also access the meeting via the County’s YouTube page at YouTube.com/RichlandOnline/videos. This option does not allow for live participation.

Public comments on the annual action plan will be taken Aug. 13-20, according to a news release from the county. All comments received will be attached to the final version of the plan.

For more information, contact Hunter at 803-576-1335 or hunter.lauren@richlandcountysc.gov.