The Burlington Housing Consortium announced on April 14 that it plans to request the release of federal funds for a residential rehabilitation program in Davidson County. The consortium will submit its request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Greensboro Field Office after April 21, seeking support from the HOME Investment Partnership Program.
The planned program aims to rehabilitate owner-occupied single-family homes in Davidson County. This includes repairs such as roofing, HVAC, electrical work, siding replacement, foundation repairs, and accessibility improvements. The project is designed so that it does not increase building capacity or expand structures into floodplains or wetlands.
Environmental reviews are a key part of this process. A broad review under federal regulations has determined that the activities are categorically excluded from certain National Environmental Policy Act requirements because they do not increase density or change land use. Site-specific environmental reviews will be completed as needed for each address once selected.
The estimated cost for the project is $139,282. An Environmental Review Record is available at City of Burlington-Community Development offices during regular business hours or online through HUD’s HEROS system at https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/environmental-review/. Public comments on the review can be submitted until April 20 and will be considered before submitting the final funding request.
Robert Patterson, City Manager of Burlington and certifying officer for this project, said he consents “to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied.” He added that HUD approval would allow use of federal funds by meeting all related legal requirements.
Objections regarding fund release can be filed with HUD within fifteen days following submission or receipt of requests if specific regulatory conditions are met. More information about objection procedures is available through HUD’s Greensboro Field Office.
Meanwhile, educational data shows areas where Davidson County students may need additional support: In science ACT testing during 2022-23, only about one-fifth of juniors (20.4%) and seniors (19.1%) were considered college-ready according to state education data. For reading readiness on ACT tests in Davidson County school districts during 2022-23, approximately one-third of juniors (31.8%) and seniors (31.9%) met college benchmarks according to state education data. Math results were lower; just over one-fifth of juniors (24.3%) and seniors (23.3%) achieved college readiness scores according to state education data.
