NORTH ELBA — The town of North Elba approved an application for a new Community Development Block Grant on Tuesday, which would allow for more homes to be rehabilitated by the housing nonprofit Adirondack Roots.

The last CDBG received by the town of North Elba in 2021 allowed the town to rehabilitate five homes with an award of $500,000 dollars. They applied for the same amount this time around. While the town would be the official contractor for this grant, Adirondack Roots would be a subrecipient and would complete the projects.

This program utilizes federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is given to states for a variety of purposes, including supporting housing initiatives for low and middle-income Americans. Caitlin Wargo, interim executive director at Adirondack Roots, said this competitive grant program is one of several funding sources the nonprofit utilizes for their home improvement and rehabilitation program.

“It’s one of the tools in the toolbox,” she said.

On Tuesday, the town board held a public hearing and approved resolutions to fulfill procedural requirements for the state grant program. Wargo said the awardees of the grant should be announced by the end of the year.

Adirondack Roots uses other funding sources for their home rehabilitation program, but the CDBG is particularly helpful for larger-scale projects because it’s a sizable chunk of money, Wargo said. Currently, they have around 300 people on their waitlist for home rehabilitation across Essex County, with about 25 on the waitlist in North Elba.

The housing needs in Essex County and North Elba are multifaceted. Wargo said there is a need for new housing, but the ability to preserve existing housing is also crucial in a place with aging residents and aging housing stock.

“We have to preserve the homes that we have for the next generation,” she said. “Preserve those assets for families so they get to stay in the communities that they love in a home that is healthy.”

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Other agenda items

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During Tuesday’s regular board meeting, Supervisor Derek Doty said that the improvements at the North Elba Horse Show Grounds will require another water line, due to the size of the Long Building and other factors. This is the one part of the project that was not previously anticipated in funding for the project, Doty said. Suozzo, Doty and Associates, the engineering firm working with the town on the project, is researching potential water infrastructure grants from the state.

“I’m confident we’re going to find some help,” Doty said.

The town will be purchasing about $250,000 in equipment for the park district. Doty signaled on Tuesday that the plan is to allocate a bond next month, in order to allow the town’s new budget officer to get settled. He said they have enough fund balance to pay for the equipment in the meantime.

This new equipment will enable the town to maintain the athletic fields without needing to hire outside contractors every year.

“The cost of the equipment will be paid for in less than two years just by our savings over those contracts that we used to have to put out,” Doty said.

The board also approved an application for a $5,000 grant from the Cannabis Sales Taxation Fund for the Barkeater Trails Alliance. The funds will cover part of the $11,000 cost of putting on a community engagement event during the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series at the beginning of October.