Council to Review HOME Investment Partnership Funding Recommendations for 2014-2015

The Council will review HOME Committee funding recommendations for the 2014-15 years at an upcoming Council Meeting on March 4, 2014.

What is the HOME Program? 

The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is a program operated and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The purpose of the program is to expand the supply of decent, safe, affordable housing for moderate and low-income households. Learn more at this link.

How does Provo use HOME funds?

Each year Provo City receives an allocation of funding from the HOME Program as a part of a consortium of nine cities in Utah Valley.

Provo City RDA has requested to use a portion of Provo’s funding allocation to administer its own down payment and closing costs assistance program, Home Purchase Plus, as well as a Loan-to-Own down payment and closing costs assistance program, which is available Consortium wide. No other applications have been received. Other eligible activities are summarized here.

What is a CHDO, and which CHDOs does Provo work with?

Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO) are private nonprofit agencies organized under state or local law, and which are accountable to the communities they serve. Currently, CHDOs receive 15% of the local HOME funding allocation to help meet the goal of providing decent and affordable housing for moderate and low-income families and individuals.

Eligible CHDOs meeting the Housing and Urban Development’s standards through the Utah Valley HOME Consortium are:

• Rural Housing Development Corporation (RHDC)
• Habitat for Humanity Utah County
• NeighborWorks Provo. 

Contact the Council regarding HOME funding

If you have comments for the Council on how HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds should be allocated, please comment on this article, contact your Council representative directly here, or attend the scheduled public hearing on this issue at Council Meeting on March 4, 2014.

Neighborhood Symposium - Feb. 22, 2014

Provo Council Work Meeting - Feb. 18, 2014

Council Engaged in Discussing Bus and Rapid Transit

The Council is engaged in studying proposed routes for Bus and Rapid Transit (BRT) to connect Provo and Orem Intermodal Stations to UVU, BYU, employment, shopping and other destinations. The Council will possibly adopt a resolution expressing their approval of a preferred alignment at the Council Meeting on Feb. 18, 2014.

At the Feb. 4, 2014 Council Meeting, Council voted to explore further research by the City Administration, and representatives from the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) for a proposed route zero, a route concept introduced by several Council members. Research will be presented during the Council Meeting on Feb. 18 and will allow Council members to compare the route zero to other routes presented by Utah Transit Authority (routes 4), and a local stakeholder group (routes 6 and 3).

The Council has heard public comment on this issue at a public meeting held Jan. 28, and also taken comment at a Council Meeting on Feb. 4.

A recap of comments shared in the public meeting held Jan. 28, 2014 can be found in this Daily Herald Article, “Residents want Bus Rapid Transit, not same route”

For more information on BRT from  UTA, see provoorembrt.com

Public comment is not anticipated at Council Meeting on Feb. 18.

To see details of routes 4, 6, and 3, you can find the documents here.

To see details of route zero, see here.

Council hears cultural enrichment moment from local author

Former BYU Professor and author Douglas Thayer presented a cultural enrichment moment at the Provo Council’s Feb. 4 Council Meeting by reading an excerpt from his memoir “Hooligan: A Mormon Boyhood” which offers details about the Provo City Thayer knew as a youth.

If you’d like to listen to Thayer’s remarks, you can find an archived version of his presentation here.

Council Proclaims Week of Feb. 24-March1 Non-Traditional Student Awareness Week

During Council Meeting on Feb. 4, 2014, the Council issued a proclamation declaring the week of Feb. 24 to Mar. 1, 2014 to be Non-traditional Student Awareness Week for the City of Provo.

A full text of the proclamation can be found here.

Trisha Nielson, a representative of the Non-traditional Student Awareness Community at Utah Valley University also offered some brief remarks highlighting the importance of continuing education, and how raising awareness can help non-traditional students overcome barriers which prevent them from pursuing schooling.

As a further part of the effort to raise awareness, Nielson offered to the Council tickets to a Utah Valley University basketball game during the officially recognized week where the University will host other awareness raising events. Tickets are for the Thurs. Feb. 27, 2014 game at 7 p.m. at UVU’s UCCU Center vs. New Mexico State University.

If you’d like a ticket, please comment on this article, and send an email including your name and mailing address to Josh at jpjohnson@provo.org. We'll give out up to four tickets per individual until there are no more remaining.

Council hears presentation on Honor Flight

At Council Meeting on Tues. Jan. 21, 2014 the Council heard a presentation from the Utah Honor Flight Program.

Dan Curtis, a national representative from the Utah Honor Flight, spoke about the purpose of honor flights to fly veterans to see their national monument in Washington D.C.

Honor Flights focuses on providing these opportunities for Utah veterans of WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam War. Curtis spoke of the especial need of 14,000 Utah WWII veterans, given the rate at which they are passing away.

Honor Flight’s purpose in visiting the Provo Council is to seek the assistance of Provo residents in identifying those eligible for the Honor Flight Program, and to also raise awareness of the need for charitable contributions to help veterans take these flights.

If you’re interested in either helping identify a veteran eligible for Honor Flights, or in contributing to the program, please visit utahhonorflight.org

Council Work Meeting Feb. 4, 2014

Today's Council Work Meeting will be held at 1 p.m. in the Council Chambers to better accommodate public interest in Council agenda items. Instead of our usual Youtube Channel Broadcast, today's meeting will be aired on Channel 17.