Chattanooga Makes Plans for $3.8 million Neighborhood Stabilization Grant

Chattanooga neighborhoods get a $3.8 million upgrade.

It's the City's part of grant money approved by Congress in July.

The funds are meant to stabilize communities hit by the mortgage meltdown.

The City already has a preliminary plan on how to spend the funds.

Lora Ammons, Highland Park, "When we first moved over here we had quite a few problems but right now, It's great. I love it."

Over the decade she's lived in Highland Park, Lora Ammons has noticed plenty of improvement. But she says there's room for more.

Ammons, "I hate to see them boarded up because that cause a lot of people to go in them and sleep in them and then that's what create problems in the neighborhood. I'm very concerned about that."

It's a concern Chattanooga Neighborhood Services now has more than $3.8 point million to tackle...hopefully starting in April.

It plans to use the money in neighborhoods that have a lot of foreclosed, vacant, abandoned and blighted properties.

Juliette Thornton, "Just about the whole inner city."

Community Development Assistant Manager Juliette Thornton points to a map that shows it's the majority of the inner city.

Each red cross represents one of nearly 7,000 foreclosed properties.

Juliette Thornton, Asst. Manager of Community Development, "We will do new construction and redevelopment. We will do some demolition because obviously some of the properties have stood vacant for some time and they need to be demolished."

She says the city also wants to provide financing for families who can't afford to purchase the new houses and hold some of the property for future single family housing.

Thornton, "It's just a challenge and it's something I think is going to improve the overall community and will have longstanding benefits for our citizens."

Lora Ammons looks forward what it will do in her neighborhood.

Ammons, "It will make it much much better."

The city has to submit its plan to the federal government by December 1st.

It expects to know by February 13th whether the plan has been approved.

It then has 18 months to get contracts in place and 4 years to spend the money.

Click here and then on Neighborhood Stabilization Program for a look at the plan.

Authored by Nordia Epps.