By Fallan Patterson

Staff Writer

Census data from 2010 has eliminated Buenaventura Lakes and Kissimmee View from low-income designation, lifting them out of a federal entitlement program that allows funding to be used for infrastructure and other improvements.

“Our target areas have changed. There’s higher incomes in those areas then there was previously,” said Keisha Cyriaano, Community Development Block Grant Program manager for Osceola County. “However, residents who meet our low income definition can participate and benefit from such activities as the rental assistance program.”

CDBG target areas are created when at least 51 percent of residents living within a census tract have a median income at or below 80 percent of Osceola County’s median income of $58,200. That means a family of four must make $46,560 a year to qualify as low income.

Osceola County Commissioners were pleased to hear these areas had improved themselves out of being considered low income.

“This is a positive change. It shows our efforts to prepare our citizens for better jobs is succeeding,” Commission Chairman John Quiñones said. “We still have much work to do to make Osceola County a better place for all of our residents but we’re on the right track.”

The county still has multiple communities – Tropical Park, Marydia, Intercession City, Campbell City, Poinciana and portions of St. Cloud – that still qualify as low income and will benefit from the CDBG program funding.

The funding will be used by the county to ensure residents have access to decent affordable housing, a suitable living environment and the creation and retention of jobs.

Cyriaano outlined several projects currently being worked on using past CDBG funding at the June 18 Commission workshop, the largest and closest to completion being the Osceola County Community Health Clinic in Buenaventura Lakes.

More than $578,000 was allocated for the acquisition and rehabilitation of the health clinic, located at 2597 Boggy Creek Road. The clinic is expected to open this summer, according to county officials.

Commissioners have identified more than $1.6 million in project priorities such as public infrastructure, which includes streetlights in Marydia and Intercession City as well as a septic tank replacement for the Community Breadbasket; public facilities including the health clinic and the Poinciana YMCA Community Center; and economic development, which includes a training center.

“These types of actions require large amounts of funding. We need to prioritize which of these projects we want to focus on this year and try to start spending some money,” Cyriaano said. “It’s very important we move forward with the projects that we’ve accumulated enough money to get started rather than just setting it aside.”

Governments receiving CDBG funding are required to have less than 1.75 percent of their allocation in the U.S. Treasury line of credit by May 1 and more than 1.5 percent by July 1.

While Cyriaano said the county was in no danger of failing to meet those requirements, governments who fail to spend their allocated funds may be forced to return the money, create a spending plan or have their allocation lower in upcoming years.

The county’s action plan is due to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees the CDBG program, by Aug. 16. The county is in the midst of a 30-day public comment period and will hold a community meeting in July on the projects.

The County Commission will taken final action on the projects at the Aug. 13 meeting at 1:30 p.m. at the Osceola County Administration Building.

For more information on the meeting or this year’s action plan, contact the Osceola County Human Services Department at 407-742-8400.