Westchester stands to receive over $3.5M in federal funding from CDBG funds

Westchester County stands to receive more than $3.5 million in federal funding that will allow 25 towns and villages to make much-needed infrastructure improvements.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer was in Elmsford Monday discussing the good news about the community development block grant funds for the 2019 fiscal year.

The county had applied for the federal funds, which allow municipalities to make improvements to water and sewer treatments, community centers, sidewalks and playgrounds. 
Latimer tells News 12 that the county lost access to the funds in 2010 as a result of a lawsuit with the federal government over the building of affordable housing in wealthy areas.
With the re-establishment of the Westchester Urban County Consortium, which consists of 25 eligible towns and villages, the door could reopen.

"The divisiveness and argument between the county government and the federal government hurt the village of Elmsford, hurt the village of Port Chester, hurt the villages that are represented here and the towns,” said Latimer.
The village of Elmsford is set to receive just under $70,000 to make much-needed repairs at Deluca Park. Mayor Robert Williams says this work wouldn't be possible without the funds.
"We have applied for the grant to improve a 20-year-old playground that is not handicap-accessible and falling apart right behind me. The playground company that we use every year to inspect it can't find the parts for it anymore,” says Williams.