TAP Grant News

US Department of Education Promise Neighborhoods Planning Grant

TAP, as an eligible non-profit entity submitted an application on June 24, 2010, to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, a request for $497,000 to support a one-year  planning period, part of the requirements for participation in the administrations Promise Neighborhood initiative, leading to an application for project implementation (which may yield about $10mm annually for project periods of up to five years). TAP is the lead applicant, partnering with the Roanoke City School System, and 25 other collaborating entities, representing the civic, human services, faith, business and neighborhood communities.

The neighborhood to be addressed is the Hurt Park Neighborhood and the school that the applicant will partner with is Hurt Park Elementary School. Hurt Park and the Hurt Park Elementary School were chosen on the basis of area need, education challenges, and the substantial investments that have already been made in the area.

The awards announcement is expected in late September 2010.

Investing in Innovation Grant

On June 24, 2010, TAP submitted an application, on behalf of the Roanoke City Public Schools, for the US Department of Education Investing in Innovation grant. The request was for $21,000,000 in funding to expand implementation of innovative practices that improve student achievement or growth for high-need students and to promote school readiness, close achievement gaps, decrease dropout rates, and increase graduation rates.

The deadline for intergovernmental review was July 12, 2010 with an estimated date of August12 for awards announcements.

TAP awarded grant to serve homeless veterans

 Total Action Against Poverty (TAP) is one of 97 recipients of U.S. Labor Department grants that will assist homeless veterans with reintegration into America’s workforce.

The grant awards - $24 million total – were announced June 22 by Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis. TAP, one of 33 first-year grantees, will receive $200,000 to link homeless veterans to a number of employment and supportive resources that include employment/job readiness, financial services, housing, mentor services, and family support.

TAP’s program will create a continuum that gives a population of veterans with a range of highly individualized needs access to wrap-around services from a range of service providers who are experienced in working with the veteran population. Partners include the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem, the Virginia Employment Commission, and veterans service organizations including the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program.

Of the first-, second- and third-year grantees, TAP’s proposal is the only one in Virginia to be awarded funding. The program will operate out of TAP’s This Valley Works component, under the direction of Jo Nelson, program manager for employment and training services. For more information about the program, call (540) 767-6222 or 767-6220.

Thomastown and Pinehurst Heights Neighborhood Improvement Project

Thanks to a planning grant received from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, planning work for both neighborhoods commenced in November 2009.  Initially, the management team that oversees the planning grant work wished to submit one application that would cover housing rehabilitation activities and drainage work in both neighborhoods.  However, work completed by consultants Doug Meredith, P.E., and Jim Gray, Rehab Specialist of LMW, P.C., and Brad Craig, P.E., of Mattern and Craig Engineers, revealed that due to the substantial costs of the work, one application would not be sufficient to cover work in both neighborhoods.  The management team, on the recommendation of its consultants, agreed that each neighborhood should be the focus of one CIG application.

Pinehurst Heights is the focus of the first round of rehabilitation work.  A community improvement grant of $996,838 from the Department of Housing & Community Development was just awarded to Bath County for rehabilitation work in Pinehurst Heights; work will take place over the next two years.  The budget for all activities in the Pinehurst Heights area is $1,049,718.  $27,780 in the budget is in-kind from Bath County, and consists of permit and construction waste fees it would normally charge.  An additional $25,100 will come from weatherization services proposed as part of the grant activities. 

Work in Pinehurst Heights will include the following activities and products:

·         Demolition of eight (8) vacant and dilapidated buildings;

·         15 homes will receive rehabilitation services and be improved to DHCD Housing Quality Standards;

·         4 homes will receive substantial reconstruction services and be improved to DHCD Housing Quality Standards;

·         1,044 linear feet of one-foot cut ditches;

·         183 linear feet of 15-inch CMP driveway culverts;

·         60 linear feet of 18-inch drainage pipe;

·         97 tons of stone for dumpster area;

·         5 tons of asphalt for driveway repair after drainage work;

·         5 tons of Aggregate Base Materal (no. 21B Stone) for driveway repair after drainage work;

·         5 gallons Liquid Asphalt (CRS-2) for road repair after drainage work;

·         1 ton NO. 8P Stone for road repair after drainage work;

·         188 tons NO. 57 Stone for French Drain installation;

·         390 linear feet 4" Corregated Plastic Pipe for French Drain installation;

·         130 SY Geotextile for French Drain installation;

·         Replacement of the number one pump at the pump station serving the Pinehurst Heights neighborhood;

·         1 electrical rack for sewer pump operation;

·         Installation of 400 linear feet of 8” sewer line

The County anticipates that at least 36 residents of Pinehurst Heights will benefit directly from housing rehabilitation services, with all 36 being low- to moderate-income. 

As mentioned above, the County and its consultants will seek additional, future funding for work in the Thomastown neighborhood.  While the date for the 2011 application date for CIG projects is not yet known, the County believes it will be in March 2011.