Housing grant request incomplete, denied by Sharon selectmen

SHARON – The Sharon Board of Selectmen voted against approving two applications for ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds from the Sharon Housing Authority due to incomplete information.

At the Sept. 10 meeting, the Board of Selectmen reviewed two applications for ARPA funding from the Sharon Housing Authority intended to gather funds to perform maintenance on the Sharon Ridge moderate income affordable housing complex. The total funds requested in these two applications amount to $79,500.

Specifically, the applications state the funds would be used to pay contractors who had done work on the development to prepare for the winter months, as well as pay off a loan from NBT Bank. The applications are careful to note that all contractors under the Sharon Housing Authority’s employment are local small businesses, and that the Housing Authority requires outside funding to adequately maintain the property since rent increases are limited.

The Board of Selectmen had previously requested further information from the Housing Authority, but at the time of the Sept. 10 meeting had not gotten a response, and so could not approve the applications. “We asked for follow up,” said First Selectman Casey Flanagan. “Which was not received.”

The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law by President Biden in 2021 to provide pandemic relief funding to all states, cities, and towns in the United States. These funds are allocated by municipalities based on applications that demonstrate the need for assistance due to pandemic-inflicted stress.

The Sharon Housing Authority was previously awarded $50,000 in 2022 to rebuild sidewalks and update its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

Flu clinic

A flu shot clinic will be held at Town Hall on Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to noon, as announced at the Sept. 10 Board of Selectmen meeting. As the weather cools, the risk of flu sharply rises, so early fall is a great time to get ahead of the virus.