The city of Walnut plans to use its federal Community Development Block Grant funds for its housing rehabilitation efforts and activities for seniors.

Walnut has $130,854 available for the 2012-13 program year, said Community Development Director Tom Weiner.  Of that total, $111,226 is being designated for a program that seeks to eradicate blight by making minor improvements to the facades of houses for qualified property owners.  Residents are qualified based on their income.

Weiner said the city started a public relations campaign a couple of years ago to increase awareness of the program.

“Not everyone qualifies, but there are plenty of people who do qualify,” he said.

The city plans to allocate $19,628 to activities for seniors.  Most of the funds will go to pay for senior excursions.  That program includes a variety of trips that seniors in Walnut can take.  Money from this pool, $2,400, also will go to pay for the GROW program, which provides a support group for widows and widowers to help them in recovering and coping with their loss, according to staff.

The City Council voted 5-0 Wednesday night in favor of the selected projects. 

The Housing and Urban Development Act established the Community Development Block Grant program in 1974 to provide federal funds for state and local use.  The funds must be used for programs that assist low- and moderate-income persons.  A secondary objective is to help prevent or eliminate blight. 

Cities with less than 50,000 residents, like Walnut, may get their grant funds through participation in the Los Angeles Urban County CDBG Program.  Walnut entered into a participation agreement with Los Angeles County to maintain eligibility to receive the funding and is has a three-year contract with the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission that is in effect through June 30. 

The city must submitted its proposed program of projects and funding levels to the Community Development Commission by Feb. 1.