City of Holyoke Office for Community Development

The Office for Community Development has released a DRAFT of the FY2023 year end report for CDBG and HOME funded activities. The document is produced from a HUD on line portal.

FY2023 CAPER Public Comment Draft.pdf

Notice of Availability of Draft FY2023 CAPER
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and Holyoke-Chicopee-Westfield HOME Consortium

Public comment period on draft FY2023 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) from August 23, 2024 to September 12, 2024. FY2023 CAPER is the year-end report on how the CDBG and HOME grant funds from US HUD were used by the City of Holyoke and HOME Consortium cities
from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

Public comment is welcome until September 12, 2024 at 4:30 pm EST. Send comments to: [email protected] or call: 413-322-5610 or mail to: OCD, City Hall Annex, Room 400, Holyoke MA 01040.

Draft available by August 23, 2024 at www.holyoke.org, on Facebook , in person by appointment (City Hall Annex, Room 400) or will be emailed or mailed upon request. Translation or accessibility service upon request with five-day notice.

Attention CDBG, HOME and ARPA funded agencies:

The City of Holyoke is updating its procurement IT systems. If your agency is a vendor (receives CDBG, ARPA, HOME funds) with the City of Holyoke Office for Community Development, please be sure that you have submitted the new Vendor Form and attachments to the City of Holyoke Procurement Department or to OCD.

Without a new vendor number, you will not be paid or reimbursed your grant expenses!

The form can be found here:

Fillable Vendor Request Form 2024 - City of Holyoke Click here to sign up for city emergency alerts - including community event alerts, Fire Department notifications, law enforcement alerts, general information alerts, and public works notifications

Mayor Joshua A. Garcia and a team from City Hall and MassDevelopment toured the former Alpaca Company mill building that is being reimagined and redeveloped as 88 units of housing for residents ages 55 and older. WinnDevelopment is the project owner and partnered with various Massachusetts housing lenders to bring this $55.3 million investment to Holyoke. The City of Holyoke provided financing through the Community Development Block Grant Program and the American Rescue Plan Act SLFRF Program.

The Farr Alpaca Company complex is 100+ years old. Remnants of its industrial past were visible during the tour including the concrete sluiceways where woolen dyes and wastewater were discharged to the adjacent canal. WinnDevelopment and its design team have respected the architectural highlights of the buildings and preserved the ceilings, wooden floors, brick archways, and structural elements. Preservation of the industrial past will create interesting contemporary living spaces with waterfront views of the Holyoke Canal System. Occupancy is planned for Summer 2025.

To read more about the fascinating history of this site:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farr_Alpaca_Company

National Community Development Association

The Office for Community Development is super excited to team up with the Holyoke Parks & Recreation Department and the Mayor's Office to offer full scholarships for Holyoke kids to attend one week of summer camp. Families can choose from Valley Blue Sox Baseball Camp or Holyoke Summer Basketball Camp and must meet the FY2024 CDBG Household Income requirements.

This program is funded by FY2023 Community Development Block Grant funds and will provide up to 135 scholarships on a first come first served basis.

Please register with the Holyoke Parks and Recreation Department.
https://www.holyoke.org/departments/parks-recreation/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dQbaY9zgRz5WKRSbpPCSzIFEVybqwzui/view?usp=sharing

Holyoke Parks & Recreation Department Mayor Joshua A. Garcia

2024 Camp Scholar Flyer & Form Eng Span.pdf

Mayor's Op-Ed: Holyoke, we punch above our weight.

I would like to offer both detail and context to the depiction of Holyoke in The Boston Globe reporter Katie Johnston’s April 18 news profile (“In Holyoke, a home of her own: One woman’s struggle to build a life in the state’s poorest place”).

The Globe report suggests that Holyoke is a low-opportunity city. Not so. Not at all. It may appear so to an outsider, but that’s not the case. The services and amenities here are the envy of neighboring “high-opportunity” cities. We have a community college, the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, cultural amenities including two museums, a multi-modal downtown transportation center, an Amtrak station, a network of community-level health care agencies, historic parks that are walkable from almost all neighborhoods, a Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, Girls Inc., services for youth, and internationally known public art.

It is true, as the Globe reported, that Holyoke’s Puerto Rican population has weathered a history of economic misfortune. Recruited to work in the to***co fields and mills, many ended up jobless when Holyoke’s manufacturing industries — no longer dependent on Connecticut River hydropower — moved south or overseas. But that same hydropower, which continues to generate most of the electricity in our city, is back in demand. Industries seeking clean, green, inexpensive power are turning their attention to Holyoke. Example: Sublime Systems, developers of an environmentally friendly, fossil-free, fully electrified cement-making process, has acquired 16 acres in our “Flats” neighborhood for its first commercial manufacturing facility.

Holyoke already is reaping benefits from cannabis cultivators who have brought new life to the enormous mill buildings that fell into disuse when the original industries left town. Again, inexpensive hydropower was the draw.

The article states that our Latino community is concentrated in undesirable neighborhoods and “held in place by poverty and prejudice.” It cites a previous mayor’s statement that there was insufficient investment “in the lower wards.”

Ironically, just as much as part of the problem has been disinvestment, the problem is also investment with unintended consequences! For decades, state and federal programs have invested in housing for Holyoke’s low-income households. This investment often comes with 99-year affordability and income restrictions that create entire blocks where only those with the lowest income are eligible to live. The well-intentioned government programs, intended to provide homes and revive aging housing stock, have created a microcosm housing market in which only the lowest-income households can reside. Subsequent generations with greater economic mobility are forced to leave their neighborhoods because of a lack of diverse housing choices. Between government-subsidized units and tenant subsidies, approximately 40+ percent of our cities rental housing stock is dedicated to low and moderate income households. According to the Massachusetts Chapter 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory (June 2023), Holyoke has the highest percentage of subsidized units (rental and owner-occupied) anywhere in the Commonwealth at 19.34%; the state average is 9.68%. And we plan to do more. This isn’t necessarily a terrible thing considering how expensive it is becoming for people to live and raise a family in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To reduce the concentration of poverty in Holyoke’s downtown however, where the median household income is currently roughly $19,000 annually, I have been encouraging state and federal agencies to consider significant public investment in new, non-subsidized housing in Gateway Cities such as Holyoke so that we are building mixed-income neighborhoods. That way, as circumstances improve for a person or family living in subsidized housing downtown, they can choose to invest in downtown and not necessarily feel they need to leave the city, or move “up the hill”. The demand for new diversified housing is there - intended for downsizing retirees, public employees, health care workers, and other working professionals. Those job sectors present in our community and growing would bring new life to the downtown area, support the base of small businesses, and ensure that no current downtown resident is displaced.

Additionally, just as much as these state and federal agencies have been investing government programs in Holyoke, I have also been encouraging state and federal agencies to invest these programs in other non-gateway cities and towns. Holyoke, which has always supported programs and services to take care of our most vulnerable people, is doing its fair share. The data of our housing stock coupled with the fact that our school district is number three in the whole Commonwealth of Massachsuetts with children enrolled in our district that are experiencing some form of homelessness. Per capita, we have more homeless school children than the three largest cities in our Commonwealth.

Growing up in Holyoke, I benefited from the city’s compassion just as much as Nereida Badillo, the woman highlighted in the Boston Globe article. So many other families did as well, like the Irish and French who came here seeking the same opportunities we did, working hard and building an economic engine that has contributed to Holyoke, our neighboring communities and all of Massachusetts. Statewide problems however require state-wide solutions. Cities and towns across the Commonwealth need to share the burden of taking care of our most vulnerable populations and stop placing the burden only on gateway cities.

My administration is focused on unwinding generational poverty and helping families build wealth, enabling homeownership, and improving neighborhood conditions. We created a Flex Squad to step up code enforcement and foster improved living and housing conditions. We’ve beefed up our Board of Health and Building Department to ensure that housing and living conditions are decent and safe, and ensured consistent enforcement across the city no matter who the owner is or what neighborhood the establishment is in. We have directed $2 million on Covid recovery funds to create 20 new home ownership opportunities in a neighborhood that has fewer than 50 owner-occupied houses.

We would do more — we want to do more — but here, again, we bump up against other well-intentioned government initiatives. Example: the Dover Amendment (M.G.L. Ch. 40A, Sec. 3) and public health programs have resulted in the ongoing placement of the neediest residents from throughout New England in cities like Holyoke and the state is supporting it with contracts from their different departments. Large, single-family houses, once home to property tax paying mill owners, foremen, and professionals, are purchased by state contractors to serve these needy clients. These properties are routinely removed from the real estate tax rolls, reducing property tax revenue which is the City’s single largest income source. The effect of this steady erosion of our primary revenue stream is less money to invest in quality-of-life improvements for our citizens.

There is no question that past racial prejudice has been a setback for Holyoke’s Hispanic community. Growing up in a single-parent household in South Holyoke, I experienced the injustice of systemic racism. This was largely due to the lack of representation of our community in government positions. During our last local elections, for the first time in our city’s history, the City Council and the School Board reflects the population and together, we have been making the necessary investments to keep up with the most basic services our community deserves. First however, we have been doing a lot of catch up. As Mayor, one of my priorities has been to dismantle nepotism and informal practices in hiring and appointments so we can be sure our majority Latino community can get a fair shot. We have more Latinos in City government, City jobs and City commissions than we have seen before but it’s not because we tilted the playing field…we leveled it.

And even with all our challenges, Holyoke somehow manages to continue to stay on its feet and in most cases, we punch above our weight. This is largely due to our resiliency and our community pride. Holyoke celebrates its many cultures with official events for the Irish, Polish, Colombian, Sikh, and Puerto Rican communities, among others. We host observances at Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Pride Month. And just as we embrace our Irish roots with ceremonies and a legendary parade that hosts people from all around the world, we also affirm the traditions of our majority-minority Latino community with such events as the Fiestas Patronales de Holyoke, which brings in thousands of people over a long weekend in August. One of the locals dancing in the street at last year’s Fiestas Patronales, as the article noted, was Nereida Badillo, the focus of the Boston Globe’s investigative piece. The photo of Nereida — joyous, all smiles — is Holyoke’s untold story. It’s a story of pride, love, and joy. All that I share here about greatness and goodness of Holyoke and our people, probably is not understandable in Boston where the Globe recently reported on parking spots selling for $500,000.

Holyoke is what it has always been — a destination for immigrants and migrants looking for a better life. All are welcome, all are respected, opportunities abound.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15DqNPp18rp5_gnZJ-iKAIsVZQ8wYS4T1/view?usp=drive_link

Environmental Review Notice
The City of Holyoke Office for Community Development is reviewing an application for Federal funding from Wayfinders, Springfield MA. This notice is strictly issued to meet the regulatory requirements of HUD that must be completed prior to use of Federal funds. This notice shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Holyoke.

drive.google.com

Ashley was born and raised in the small town of North Brookfield, Massachusetts and graduated from North Brookfield High School. After High School Ashley attended Assumption University where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political
Science, with a minor in Sociology. Following her college years, Ashley married her college sweetheart and began to build
her family while simultaneously delving into her career. She worked as the Outreach Coordinator for a Local Council on Aging, while volunteering on various local boards and committees. Once her kids were all in school Ashley seized an administrative position working for a local Board of Selectmen. She continued in this role throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, playing a vital role in ensuring local services continued uninterrupted. Ashley eventually found herself drawn to new opportunities and embarked on a journey to the City of Holyoke where she is currently the Special
Programs Manager in the Office for Community Development.
Ashley and her husband Greg have 3 Children and although she is not from Holyoke, some of her favorite memories with her family are the countless hours they spent bouncing between the Holyoke Children’s Museum, the Holyoke Merry Go Round and
exploring the Dinosaur Footprints.

What do you love about your work?
I love that I am always learning something new and meeting new people. Every day brings a new experience and opportunity for growth.

What is your favorite hidden spot in Holyoke?
I think one of the coolest things in the city and something that may not be as well known to people outside of the city, is the Holyoke Dam Fish Lift which is essentially a lift that carries migrating fish over the dam.

What is an interesting fact about yourself?
I am a huge sports fan; I played 3 Varsity sports in high school and went on to play softball in college.

If you made a career move, what would it be?
I am a True Crime ju**ie, so definitely an FBI profiler.

National Community Development Association

Alicia grew up on Plum Island, MA and relocated to Western MA in the late 1990’s. Prior to joining the Office for Community Development, she spent thirteen years as the City’s Conservation Director leading land preservation efforts, invasive species management, endangered species protection projects, and environmental permitting. Alicia has also been employed as an aquatic biologist in the shellfish industry and taught biology and chemistry in various venues. She holds an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts- Science Concentration from Northern Essex Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from Salem State College, a Juris Doctorate from Western New England College School of Law, a 2020 Graduate Certificate in Local Government Leadership and Management from Suffolk University and is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar. Alicia and her partner, Rosemary, live in the Maple High Six Corners neighborhood in Springfield with their feline fur babies and always have a home improvement project underway. Out of the office, Alicia spends as much time as possible in or near water, reads, gardens, trains for triathlons, and is a weather ju**ie and foodie.

What do you love about your work?
Our work brings meaning to people’s lives whether it is helping them realize their dreams of homeownership or a small business or the basics like food and shelter.

What is your favorite hidden spot in Holyoke?
Jones Ferry River Access Center- for a City with twelve miles of CT River-front, it is the only public river access point (and a CDBG-funded project!)

What is an interesting fact about yourself?
Before moving to Western MA, I was a SCUBA-diving instructor along the New England coast.

Professionally, I represented the City of Holyoke in Ireland at the 2005 International Invasive Species Conference presenting my work and research on the City's water chestnut infestation.

If you made a career move, what would it be?
Professional beach reviewer, water aerobics instructor, or food truck owner
National Community Development Association

Zaida is nearly a lifelong resident of Holyoke: her family moved here shortly after she was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She grew up in Beaudoin Village; after graduating from Holyoke High School she worked various full-time positions, earning an Associates of Science in Health Information from HCC along the way. She was the Medical Records Coordinator at the Geriatric Authority of Holyoke from 2001 until 2013; while working there full time she earned her Bachelor of Science with honors in Business Management from Westfield State. She then joined the team in the Office for Community Development as the Bookkeeper, and is currently the Finance Manager for the department.

Zaida has always enjoyed the many outdoor public spaces in Holyoke; from lunchtime walks to Pulaski, Veterans, and Heritage Parks to hiking Section 4 and 5 of the NET, to walks at Mt. Tom and Scotts Tower, to watching her daughter grow up playing at Springdale Park and Community Field. Besides this, she is a lifelong learner with a disquieting hoard of random books. She and her husband Rob enjoy their Churchill home and neighborhood and look forward to seeing Holyoke thrive and progress into the future.

What do you love about your work?
I love it when the questions get answered, the numbers balance, and I love untangling information and making things easier to understand.

What is your favorite hidden spot in Holyoke?
The old Mt. Tom Ski area - even though it's a little creepy (or maybe because it's a little creepy…).

What is an interesting fact about yourself?
I love karaoke! Favorite song: On and On by Erykah Badu

If you made a career move, what would it be?
Work to support foster children aging out of the system. Retirement dream-job: refurbish furniture and offer it free of charge to people in need.

National Community Development Association

Today's posts are a look "behind the scene" of Team OCD. These are the people who work tirelessly each day, in partnership with their colleagues in Holyoke City Hall, to bring community development projects to life. They're hanging out at an early CDBG project- Korean Veterans Plaza.
National Community Development Association Mayor Joshua A. Garcia

Today's 50th Anniversary post is an engaging conversation with Holyoke Media's Linda Pratt, Mayor Joshua A. Garcia and Alicia Zoeller of the City of Holyoke Office for Community Development on the importance of the CDBG Program in Holyoke.

National Community Development Association

Ask: CDBG 50 Years of This Taxpayer-Funded Program Mayor Joshua García and Alicia Zoeller, director of the Office for Community Development, answer all questions posed by Linda Pratt, community producer of th...

From FY2005 to FY2023, CDBG facilitated the creation and retention of 563,236 economic development related jobs!

CDBG is determined to support and enhance our communities all across the country. We are excited to celebrate 50 years of CDBG this year, recognizing all of the success this program has helped us achieve!

Don’t forget to share your National Community Development Week events with us! 🎊

Today's 50th Anniversary celebration is a highlight of small businesses! From cookies to cleaning to catering to crossfit!

Each business has been supported over the past few years by programs from the City of Holyoke Office for Community Development.

We recognize your growth, resiliency, and commitment to the local economy.

The Plan Holyoke Hot Oven Cookies Ecotint
Blue Door Gatherings Nasty Habit CrossFit

Others include MD Beauty Salon, 5 Martin, Julio's Auto, Posters, Inc, La Copa, R&S Cleaning Services, Bugalu Ballroom, and Golden Heart Healthcare.


Mayor Joshua A. Garcia National Community Development Association

The calendar may say April 1st, but we're not fooling around!

It's National Community Development Week across the nation! The City of Holyoke Office for Community Development will be highlighting community development work every day this week here on Facebook. And the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The CDBG is a federally funded program that relies on an annual allocation from Congress and is provided to the City as a direct entitlement grant. In Washington DC, our Federal delegation members are long-standing champions of the program. Without their continued support, benefits like parks improvements, infrastructure (sidewalks/sewer) projects, improved housing, small business development and public services would not receive critical financial support. Thank you for investing in our community!

Played at Community Field Park?= A CDBG Project!

Rowed at Jones Ferry River Access Center?= A CDBG Project!

Walked downtown on a new sidewalk?= A CDBG Project!

Cooled off at the Carlos Vega spray pool?= A CDBG Project!

Exercised at the outdoor fitness yard at Pulaski?= A CDBG Project!

National Community Development Association Mayor Joshua A. Garcia
Congressman Richard Neal Senator Elizabeth Ann Warren
Senator Edward J. Markey

Thanks to Linda Pratt and Holyoke Media for their efforts to connect the community to City Hall.

Resident Linda Pratt asks Alicia Zoeller, director of the Office for Community Development, how it assists businesses and residents.
https://holyokemedia.org/ask-alicia-zoeller/
Swartzback Pratt City of Holyoke Office for Community Development

City of Holyoke Office for Community Development
Draft FY2024 Annual Action Plan
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
Holyoke-Chicopee-Westfield HOME Consortium (HOME)

Public hearing, review and comment of the draft prior to submission to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development on how the City of Holyoke and the Consortium intend to allocate Federal funds.

Public Hearing on Wed. April 10, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
City Hall Annex, 4th Floor Conference Room
20 Korean Veterans Plaza, Holyoke MA

Public comment on the draft is welcome until April 30, 2024 at 4:30pm EST. Send comments to [email protected] or call 413-322-5610.

Draft available at www.holyoke.org, on Facebook , in person by appointment, or will be emailed upon request. Draft will be available on March 27, 2024.

Translation or accessibility services upon request.

ATTENTION RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS!

The City of Chicopee’s Office of Community Development will once again sponsor a series of rental property owner sessions. The sessions will be held on three consecutive Wednesday evenings, April 17th, April 24th, and May 1st.

This program is offered FREE to Holyoke landlords in partnership with the City of Holyoke Office for Community Development.

The workshops will cover:
Workshop 1. The Rules of the Game
Topics: Finding the right tenant: Advertising Your Property; Applications and Screening, and Rental
Agreements vs. leases; and Fair Housing Do’s and Don’ts.

Workshop 2. Avoiding Code Problems.
Topics: The Implied Warranty of Habitability. Complying with the recently revised State Sanitary Code,
other building codes; Massachusetts lead paint requirements and the federal Repair, Renovation and
Painting (RRP) requirements; and the Importance of Inspections and Documenting Conditions (before
and during the tenancy).

Workshop 3. Rights, Responsibilities and Evictions.
Topics: Mutual Expectations and Requirements; Strategies for Building a Successful Landlord-Tenant
Relationship; and the Changing Face of the Eviction Process

You need not attend all three sessions, but we strongly recommend that you pre-register for the dates you wish to attend.

To register call the Chicopee Office of Community Development at 413-594-1490 or electronically to [email protected]. Holyoke City Hall Mayor Joshua A. Garcia

There have been several recent posts on Facebook and Nextdoor from people in need of food or community meals. Please share this list of local food resources.

Call to confirm times and availability. The City of Holyoke provides this list as a public service and not an endorsement of any programs. Mayor Joshua A. Garcia

Food Pantry List.pdf

The City wants to hear from you! What issues are you concerned about? Two more days to weigh in on Holyoke's community needs and priorities. Mayor Joshua A. Garcia

Holyoke 2024 Annual Plan Public Comment Form The City of Holyoke Office for Community Development is interested in feedback from residents, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and City elected officials and employees. All comments received by February 22, 2024 will be considered in the preparation of the 2024 Annual Action Plan submitted to H...

The FY2024 Community Development Block Grant proposals are in! Over $3.7 million in requests! HUD has not released the FY2024 allocation. Last year, Holyoke received approximately $1.2 million.

FY2024 CDBG Proposal Book.pdf

Another amazing story of how a little public investment improves lives!
Hot Oven Cookies received a City of Holyoke Office for Community Development Microenterprise Grant in 2016 to launch their cookie trailer.

How a Springfield mom of seven went from homelessness to the sweet smell of startup success - The Boston Globe Hot Oven Cookies owner Sheila C**n has long planned to open seven stores — one for each kid to call their own. But that’s just the beginning for this entrepreneur.

Congratulations to Holyoke's newest homeowner! Small investments of public resources, like the American Rescue Plan Act grant awarded to Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity, provide big long term returns for the community.

Holyoke family receives new home from Habitat for Humanity The Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity dedicated a new house to it’s new homeowner.

The 2024 Annual Plan Calendar highlights the many opportunities to participate in the planning of CDBG investments in the City of Holyoke and important deadlines. Mayor Joshua A. Garcia

2024 Annual Plan Schedule.pdf

The 2024 Annual Plan and Community Development Block Grant Application season has opened! Applications are due by Friday February 16, 2024 at 3:00 pm EST. Mayor Joshua A. Garcia

2024 Holyoke Annual Plan & CDBG Application.pdf

En respuesta a la inminente tormenta de nieve invernal, la ciudad de Holyoke anuncia la apertura de un refugio de emergencia dedicado a dar cobijo a la población sin hogar.

Ubicación: Hamilton Street (Acceso por la puerta de Kate’s Kitchen en el aparcamiento trasero)
Hora de apertura: 5 PM, sábado 1/6/2024
Hora de cierre: 7:00 AM (Debe salir antes de las 8:00 AM), domingo 1/7/2024

Este refugio de emergencia tiene por objeto garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar de las personas sin hogar durante condiciones meteorológicas adversas. La ubicación designada en 51 Hamilton Street, accesible a través de la puerta de Kate’s Kitchen en el aparcamiento trasero, proporcionará un espacio seguro para las personas que buscan refugio de la tormenta.

El refugio abrirá sus puertas puntualmente a las 5 PM del sábado, ofreciendo calor y seguridad durante toda la noche hasta las 7:00 de la mañana. Es imperativo que todos los ocupantes abandonen las instalaciones antes de las 8:00 AM para permitir los preparativos necesarios y garantizar una transición sin problemas.

Esta iniciativa subraya el compromiso de la ciudad de Holyoke con el bienestar de sus residentes, especialmente durante fenómenos meteorológicos difíciles. La colaboración con Providence Ministries/Kate’s Kitchen refuerza el apoyo de la comunidad en tiempos de necesidad.

Para más información o consultas, póngase en contacto con la Oficina del Alcalde de Holyoke o con el Departamento de Gestión de Emergencias.