Officials in Binghamton are asking the public for its input on what to do with nearly 2 million dollars in HUD funding. Our Elyse Mickalonis has more on what this money does for the community.

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- With nearly $2 million of HUD Funds on the table, the City of Binghamton and the Community Development Advisory Committee are looking for the public’s advice on where to spend it.

“This is one of two opportunities for people in Binghamton to come forward and talk about their wishes, how we divide up the HUD money we get,” said Doorey, Community Development Advisory Committee Chair.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Entitlement Funds are channeled through grant programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant. The money helps to provide everything from adult literacy programs to housing.

“We receive funding from the CDBG grant every year. It’s vital, we service youth from Tioga and Broome counties. We had 120 people enrolled last year and without funding it’d be very hard to run,” said Joy Moore, ACHIEVE Coordinator.

Jennifer Terry, Literacy Volunteers of Broome and Tioga County, added, “We receive funding from the city of Binghamton to help support our adult literacy program. It’s important to come and let the city know the work we’re doing.”

The Community Development Block Grant's allocation decreased by more than a million dollars since the 90s and other programs have also seen a reduction.
Council members said knowing what the public needs is critical in deciding how the money is divided up.

“They make their pitch, they will provide an application and suggest how they’re going to spend the money and be accountable,” said Doorey. “With less money coming in we strive to be efficient.”

Doorey said the council will meet in May to start the application process.