HD19 - Progress Report of the Department of Housing and Community Development on Efforts to Attain Agency Goals and Objectives during FY 2005


Executive Summary:
Item 109 F. of the 2005 Appropriations Act included a requirement for the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to report to the General Assembly on its efforts to achieve certain goals and objectives originally set out in Items 109 A. through E. of the 2004 Appropriations Act. These goals and objectives addressed five specific program areas:

1. Targeting job creation and retention within economically distressed areas of the Commonwealth while stimulating new private investment,

2. Improving critical infrastructure by increasing access by household s to safe drinking water and approved wastewater disposal systems,

3. Increasing building and fire safety through annual building inspections and the attainment of higher rates of compliance with the Statewide Fire Prevention Code,

4. Increasing availability of decent, safe, and affordable housing for lower income individuals and households, and

5. Reducing the number of families and households experiencing homelessness and increasing the number of formerly homeless attaining permanent housing.

The 2004 Act established one or more specific, quantifiable goals within each program area. This special progress report compares the efforts and achievements reported by DHCD during the first year of the biennium with the ten goals included in the budget.