Still time for neighborhoods to apply for Community Improvement Project Grants

The City of Milwaukee announced today there is still time for neighborhood groups to apply for a ‘Community Improvement Project’ grant. The application deadline is extended to Aug. 31. The grants are eligible for Milwaukee neighborhoods located outside the Community Development Block Grant areas.

Funds up to $2,000 per project are available for proposals that enhance curb appeal and unite residents. The grant could be applied toward safety and security enhancements, the purchase of neighborhood banner displays, front yard landscaping initiatives and more. The grants require matching dollar per dollar, either through matching cash contributions, donated goods, and/or professional services.

“These grants encourage neighborhood residents to join together to strengthen their community,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “The result is increased community well-being, improved public safety, and a more united neighborhood.”

Popular projects this year include community learning gardens and neighborhood signs. Holler Park residents are planning to dedicate a new rain garden on July 22nd at 5151 S. 6th Street. The project also included neighborhood blockwatch signs and was funded in part through a Community Improvement Project grant.

Residents of the Garden District Neighborhood Association, located in the 13th Aldermanic District, used their grant to beautify the James Fenimore Cooper Elementary School entry way. They used landscaping to improve the presentation of the flagpole and the marquee sign. In addition, a learning garden was planted for the students’ use.People living in the Cambridge Woods neighborhood, located in the 3rd Aldermanic District, worked together to design and install neighborhood identification signs.

Neighborhood groups interested in applying for the Community Improvement Project should contact Dave Weber of the Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation at 286-5626.

The Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation, affiliated with the
Department of City Development, operates programs that target public resources into building stronger neighborhoods through loans, grants and community-building projects. Visit its website at: www.mkedcd.org/housing/
nidc.