Applications for City of Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood Development Department grant programs are now open to neighborhood groups to fund projects, cleanups and events in their communities.
Anyone can form a group with other people living in their neighborhood and apply for a grant, said Angela Van Rooy, the neighborhood services program manager of HAND. A neighborhood group could be an officiallyrecognized neighborhood association, a homeowner association or a group of neighbors who organize for the sole purpose of applying for a grant.
“Everyone lives in a neighborhood and we encourage all residents to take pride in where they live,” Van Rooy said.
The number of Neighborhood Improvement Grants and Small and Simple Grants awarded this year will depend on available funding. The city has $30,000 available this year for capital projects through the Neighborhood Improvement Grants, and a total of $4,000 for smaller projects through the Small and Simple Grants, Van Rooy said. Neighborhood Cleanup Grants will be awarded to three neighborhood groups.
The minimum Neighborhood Improvement Grant is $1,000 with a 10% match, making $1,100 the total minimum project cost. Neighborhood groups can fulfill the match component of the grant through volunteer hours, donated supplies or with cash.
Small and Simple Grants provide up to $500 and don't require a match. Eligible projects include block parties, printing and mailing newsletters, educational events, training sessions and sustainability projects. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 30 or until funds run out.
Letters of intent for the Neighborhood Improvement Grants were due Monday, according to a city press release. However, Van Rooy said the HAND office will accept letters of intent submitted after the stated deadline. The formal application must be turned in by 4 p.m. March 23 to the HAND office.
Applications for Neighborhood Cleanup Grants must be turned in by 4 p.m. March 9 to the HAND office. Neighborhoods that have not received a Neighborhood Cleanup Grant in the past two years will be considered.
The process of applying for a grant helps bring neighbors together, Denise Valkyrie, president of the Broadview Neighborhood Association, said.
“You get to see how different people you live around have different talents,” she said.
Small and Simple Grants have allowed the Broadview Neighborhood Association to send out a yearly flier to all residents in the area, Valkyrie said.
She said a future grant could help her neighborhood get solar panels on every home.
Neighborhood Improvement Grants have funded projects such as the Harmony School playground equipment in Elm Heights in 1998 and the painted murals by artist Sam Bartlett at Building Trades Park in Prospect Hill in 2013. The murals at Building Trades Park were expanded in 2019, Bartlett said.
“This is an opportunity for neighborhood groups to help shape their community,” Van Rooy said. “Whatever priorities they have for their neighborhoods, we can provide support to make that happen.”
