Beginning Tuesday, the general public will be given the opportunity to provide comments at virtual hearings to be held via Facebook Live, Zoom video and teleconferencing, and the NMHC website.
NMHC stated that its Citizen Participation Plan has triggered the need for a substantial amendment to both the Five-Year Consolidated Plan (2015-2019) and the Annual Action Plan for Program Year 2019.
NMHC is seeking the public’s comments on the following:
1) Amending NMHC’s Citizen Participation Plan.
2) The inclusion of additional Community Development Block Grant and Emergency Solutions Grant funds made possible through the Coronavirus, Relief, and Economic Security Act to address the Covid-19 pandemic in the CNMI.
3) Amending HOME activities to respond to Covid-19.
NMHC said the Community Development Block Grant program will be allocated $549,270 for the “acquisition of a mobile clinic for the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation to extend clinical and prevention services to at-risk populations” as well as “planning and administrative costs.”
For its part, the Emergency Solutions Grants program will be allocated $275,414 for “housing relocation and stabilization services, rapid re-housing assistance, homelessness prevention assistance, homeless management information system, and planning and administrative costs.”
NMHC said the CNMI seeks to amend its Citizen Participation Plan to reflect actions needed to expedite the Commonwealth’s response to Covid-19 and to allocate funds to activities, which will serve the low- to moderate-income population during the pandemic.
All written comments should be submitted through the NMHC website at https://www.nmhcgov.net or at the drop box located at the NMHC office building in Garapan no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.
Details regarding the virtual hearings can be found on the NMHC website. For more information and/or to make special accommodations for persons with disabilities, contact NMHC Deputy Corporate Director Zenie Mafnas at 285-2146.
