County Housing Agency receives national award

July 26, 2010

by Hawaii RealEstateRama

Category: News || Grants, Housing & Development | No Comments

LĪHU’E, HI – July 26, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — The County of Kaua’i was one of six communities nationwide to receive the 2010 John A. Sasso National Community Development Week Award.

The award recognizes communities that exemplify the spirit of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program by showcasing its good works through the activities and events held during the National Community Development Week.

Jo Shimamoto, the county‟s CDBG coordinator, and Sharon Kelekoma, a CDBG specialist, flew to Seattle last month to accept the award at the National Community Development Association‟s (NCDA) annual conference.

“It was an honor to receive the award, and a great opportunity to meet other CDBG administrators and discuss the challenges that we face,” said Shimamoto.

The two Housing Agency staff members also participated in plenary sessions regarding the U.S. Housing and Urban Development‟s (HUD) policy direction and program issues relative to CDBG and HUD programs, as well as training workshops.

Other recipients of the 2010 John A. Sasso award include: El Paso, TX; Greenville, NC; Jacksonville, FL; Quincy, MA; and Weymouth, MA.

To be eligible for the John A. Sasso award, the respective communities had to submit essays of 1,000 words or less, describing the events and activities they hosted during the 2010

County Housing Agency receives national award

National Community Development Week celebration, along with the media coverage that was generated.

John A. Sasso was the founder and first president of the National Community Development Association. Under Sasso‟s leadership, NCDA rose to the forefront in securing effective and responsible housing and community development programs for local governments.

NCDA is a national nonprofit organization comprised of 550 local governments across the country. The entities administer federally supported community and economic development programs, as well as housing and human services programs, including CDBG and the HOME Investment Partnerships programs.

Contact:
EUGENE JIMENEZ, DIRECTOR
Tel (808) 241-4444
Fax (808) 241-5118