Oakland County will use $10 million in federal aid to demolish blighted homes in Pontiac, improve the senior center in Brandon Township, and ensure facilities across the county are compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The initiatives were outlined in a guide released today by the Oakland County Community & Home Improvement Division that details where the federal aid will be spent.
“From helping fund a food program for seniors to making needed improvements in a community park, these programs and services touch residents of all ages throughout the county in so many ways,” says L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County executive.
Nearly $800,000 will go to clear blighted homes in Pontiac; $36,000 to make the Highland Township Hall ADA compliant; $30,000 to make recreational facilities ADA compliant in Wixom, and $107,000 to make existing facilities in Redwood Park in Troy ADA compliant. Nearly $24,000 will be used to improve the Edna Burton Senior Center.
The funds will also go to providing free counseling on reverse mortgages and tenants’ rights, interest-free loans for low-income households, and services for abused spouses.
Patterson says the division is also working to develop a five-year plan for how the county will invest $5 million annually in Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program and Emergency Solutions Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
