Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the annual public hearing for Bayonneâ€s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program has been scheduled for Thursday, January 10, at 5:30 p.m., in the Dorothy Harrington Municipal Council Chambers, 630 Avenue C, Bayonne.

The purpose of the hearing is to solicit the publicâ€s views regarding the City of Bayonneâ€s 2019 Annual Action Plan. At the meeting, the City of Bayonne will furnish citizens and organizations with information concerning the projected amount of funds available for the proposed community development activities and the range of activities that may be undertaken with these funds. There will also be a discussion about CDBG programs, policies, and procedures. The Bayonne Community Development Program anticipates receiving a CDBG grant in the amount of $1,400,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Bayonne Community Development anticipates receiving about $60,000 in income from its programs. CDBG funds may be used to provide various housing, economic development, and social service activities. More details will be available at the hearing.

The event will also include a presentation by CDBG consultant Triad Associates on CDBG policy and procedures. The program will seek public comments.

The City of Bayonne will submit its plan for the funds to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of Hudson Countyâ€s Consolidated Plan.

The Community Development Program anticipates preparing and submitting its proposed budget to HUD before May 15, 2019. Anyone wishing to submit written comments concerning the CDBG Program should submit them to the Bayonne Community Development Program at the address below before that date. CDBG grant applications are available in the Community Development Office, which is located now at the Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation (BEOF), 555 Kennedy Boulevard, Bayonne 07002. For information on submitting grant applications, please contact Ashley Lambert at 201-688-7271, or by e-mail at cdbg@baynj.org. Applications are due by Friday, February 23, 2019.

The post Hearing Set for Bayonne Block Grant Program on January 10 first appeared on River View Observer.

Financial Help from ABC MoneyWatch.com Robert Pagliarini

I wrote a post recently titled, “Are the Unemployed Lazy?” and received a heartfelt comment from @AlekKirstein. He shares his situation and his fears. Heâ€s living on the edge, and feels like he is about to fall off at any moment.

Unfortunately, @AlekKirstein is not alone. There are literally millions of hardworking people have become victims of this economic crisis. If you were living on the edge and then, because of a layoff or other event, find yourself pushed over the edge, you must take immediate action. I shared these tips and a few others with @AlekKirstein and I want to share them with you to:   Cliff image by ino paap, CC 2.0)

EMAIL THIS

Hope for Homeownerâ€s. Contact your lender to see if they are participating in government-sponsored Hope for Homeownerâ€s program (www.hud.gov/hopeforhomeowners).
HOPE NOW. HOPE NOW is an alliance between HUD approved counseling agents, mortgage companies, investors and other mortgage market participants that provides free foreclosure prevention assistance (www.hopenow.com).
MakingHomeAffordable.gov. Easy to use website to determine if you are eligible for loan modification or refinancing (www.makinghomeaffordable.gov).
Bankruptcy. Obviously, this is not a first choice, but sometimes itâ€s the only choice. Donâ€t expect to get a fair opinion from a bankruptcy attorney or similar service since they have a vested interest in you filing for bankruptcy. If you can scrape together $75 or $100, spend an hour with a fee-only financial advisor who can run some figures and let you know if it makes sense or not. You can find an hourly financial advisor through the Garrett Planning Network at www.garrettplanning.com.

Free/Reduced Cost Health Insurance. Did you know that each state has a program that offers free or reduced cost health insurance? If you or your family is uninsured, you are exposing yourself to serious risk. Go to www.insurekidsnow.gov or call 877-KIDS-NOW right now.

Free ebook. I wrote an ebook a couple of months ago called Plan Z: How to Survive the 2009 Financial Crisis (and even live a little better). Itâ€s a no-nonsense approach to surviving the next 12 months. Download Plan Z ebook now for free.

The post Out of Money, Out of Options, Out of Hope first appeared on River View Observer.