Matawan Approved for Grant for ADA Improvements at Municipal Community Center

The Matawan Borough Council authorized the borough to execute an agreement with the county for cooperative participation in the Community Development Block Grant Program.

By authorizing this agreement, Matawan is joining other Monmouth County municipalities in an attempt to secure a grant from the federal government under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, which is more commonly known as the Community Development Block Grant Program.

The agreement is one step in establishing eligibility for the highly competitive grant. It must be applied to a project that targets a specific area, serves a need for the community or for American Disability Act (ADA) improvements.

According to Borough Administrator Barbara Bascom, Matawan was approved to receive $114,000 for ADA improvements to the Municipal Community Center last year. However, after funding cuts from the federal level, fewer municipalities recieved grants than initially planned. Matawan was one of those municipalities, and had to put off the improvement plans.

Typically, funding can only be applied for through the Community Development Block Grant Program every other year. Since Matawan never recieved the funding they were approved for last year, they were allowed to apply again for a grant.

Bascom said that Matawan chose to resubmit their application for the same project, and was again approved.

They will recieve less money, however. Bascom said she did not yet have the exact number but the grant would be approximately $102,000.

Bascom said that the grant will be a great help to Matawan, as it will offset a large portion of the cost of the improvements.