I thank you for uh joining us here this evening.

Uh, for our uh public meeting scheduled to hear uh public comments for all of our year fifty two, twenty five, twenty six uh HUD entitlement grants.

I'm gonna go ahead and call the meeting to order since it's 5 30, and we will begin the public comment portion of the meeting shortly.

Um but before we get started, just want to recognize some of the staff that we have here this evening.

Um Tani Eastman, our director of grants uh was at the door.

Uh we also have uh Sue McMahon, who is our emergency solutions uh grant uh administrator, and uh Renee Schwonier, who is our home program administrator.

Uh and Sophie Fisher, uh, who manages our CDBG program is not yet here, but um recognize her contributions as well.

Uh if you would like to speak this evening, we do ask that you uh complete a speaker card uh at the front uh with Tanya if you have not already.

Um if you decide that uh you would like to speak later, uh you're welcome to do so at any point in time between now and uh the end of the meeting.

Umya will also have a copy of the draft action plan available at the back of the room if you have not uh had the opportunity to see that.

Uh that plan is also available on the city's website at SYR.gov uh for anyone who is watching at home as well.

Uh each speaker will have three minutes to provide comments uh in the event that you need any additional time.

You have a couple different options.

You may uh either uh return to the end of the speaker line uh to provide some additional comments, you may uh hand your papers to me with any written comments, or you may submit your comments to us electronically uh after the fact.

Uh we will also have a second uh public hearing opportunity that is scheduled at a date yet to be determined that will be held by the common council.

Um, and the public comment period will be open uh until Friday, March 5th at 1159 p.m.

So any time between now and then, we will accept uh comments submitted written or electronically.

Um you do come to the podium, uh please state for the record your full name and uh spell your last name, please uh for our um uh folks that are here uh documenting the meeting, and then um also the agency or organization you're representing, uh if applicable, and the address of the organization that you are representing.

So uh with that, we will go ahead and get started.

The first person that we have up on our uh list here is Marquita Heatrington from uh Blueprint 15.

Good evening, my name is Marquita Heatherington.

It is spelled H E T H E R I N G T-O-N.

I work at Blueprint 15.

The address for Blueprint 15 is 819 South Salina Street, Syracuse, New York 13202.

I wanted to just give my gratitude and thanks for being considered and potentially approved for funding for the FAI program, which I am the program coordinator of.

I in the last year have provided the city of Syracuse with three new homeowners, and I have provided the program itself for over 115 people.

Um I'm looking forward to expanding that and also trying to offer it in Spanish as well in other languages if needed.

But we will love, we will I sorry, we love the program and we are grateful that we're able to continue to do so.

Providing that service for residents in the 15th ward.

Thanks, Marquita.

All right.

Uh next up, we have uh James uh Negrone Carter.

Did I say that right?

Home headquarters.

All right.

Come on up.

Hello.

My name is Jamaicas Negrone Carter, N-E-G-R-O-N, hyphenated C A R T E R.

I'm a senior mortgage loan officer at home headquarters located at 625 Erie Boulevard West, suite 100, Syracuse, New York, 13204.

I'm writing us both as an employee of home headquarters and as someone who has personally used Sharp and CDBG uh urgent care funds.

These programs are essential to our families and neighborhoods we serve in.

Sharpen CDBG Urgent Care Funding allows HHQ to help income eligible homeowners address critical health and safety repairs such as failing roofs, heating systems, plumbing, and electric electrical hazards that many residents cannot afford on their own.

These funds help people remain safely in their homes and prevent displacements.

On a personal level, receiving these assistants made it possible for me to complete urgent repairs and maintain safe stabled home on a broader level.

These funding strengthens neighborhoods by preserving housing, providing light, and supporting long-term homeownership.

Continued investments in these programs direct directly improves quality of life for Syracuse residents and helps keep our community strong.

Thank you.

All right, next up we have uh Chrissy Rizzo from On Point for College.

Chrissy Rizzo.

Last name R-I-Z-Z-O.

I'm with On Point for College, 224 Harrison Street, Suite 603, Syracuse 13202.

I'd like to extend the thanks of On Point for College, its students, and especially our Deputy Director of Workforce Development, Dr.

Patricia Washington, for consideration of our proposal for CDBG funding.

Our career services are important for our students to help them compete in the workforce.

Studies have shown that our students are well equipped when they have a degree, but they're also ill-equipped in terms of their networking resources, their soft skills, their career readiness skills.

On points career services with the help of CDBG funding has been able to provide workshops, internship experiences, job shadowing, and other opportunities for our students to gain competitive edge in the workforce job hunt.

We are very, very grateful for the opportunity to be considered again as funding is always at a premium.

Thank you so much.

And we look forward to providing these services for our students for another year.

Thanks, Chrissy.