The city of Spokane has filed its annual action plan with the federal government for about $5.5 million in community projects, ranging from street repaving to home improvements for low-income residents, that it hopes to pursue using federal grant money.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funds are sought each year by the city under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, says Mike Adolfae, the city's director of community development.

The City Council approved the city's 2009 action plan last month, clearing the way for the city to seek the federal funds. Adolfae says the city already has received notice from HUD that it will get the full $5.5 million if its application is in order. The amount is up slightly from last year, he says, after eight to 10 years in which the trend has been downward.

"It really is an economic engine in some respects," Adolfae says of the funding. "This is money from the federal government designed to meet the needs of moderate-income and low-income neighbors."

The money would include about $3.8 million in community development block grant funds; $1.5 million in what are called HOME program allocations, to help improve or pay for housing for low-income residents; and $169,000 in emergency shelter grant program funds for nine nonprofit service providers here, he says. The city would handle some of the funded projects itself, and contract out for others, Adolfae says.

The projects can begin as soon as the city receives a letter of credit from HUD, which is expected to arrive in August, Adolfae says. After the projects are completed, the city will seek reimbursement from HUD, he says. The city's Community Development Board prepared the application, after seeking comments from residents, Community Development Neighborhood Steering Committees, community organizations, and agencies.

The $1.5 million in HOME program funds would be used to help low-income home owners rehabilitate their homes; to offer rental assistance to low-income renters; to fund low-interest loans to developers of low-income, multifamily housing projects; and to help nonprofit community housing development organizations pay operating expenses.

Included in the block-grant funds would be just under $1.1 million for rehabilitation of single-family homes and lead-based paint remediation, and $50,000 for roof repair and replacement to reduce further deterioration of owner-occupied single-family houses.

The action-plan application also designates about $557,000 in block-grant funds for public services, most of which would go to maintenance and operations at four neighborhood community centers: East Central, West Central, Northeast, and Peaceful Valley, he says.

The two repair programs, both administered by Spokane Neighborhood Action Programs, would be allocated $85,000 and $149,000, respectively, Adolfae says.

About $100,000 would be allocated from the block grant funds for street paving, and about $200,000 would be allocated for neighborhood sidewalk and curb work.