MONROE, La. – Community leaders in the City of Monroe assembled Friday to discuss a five-year consolidated plan. This plan will be funded by a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD.
It will address housing concerns, public infrastructure, the needs of senior citizens, and youth development. Ellen Hill, the department head of Planning and Urban Development, said that community input will play a vital role in this process.
“Community input is key. You know, if we recognize that people are telling us housing is critical, and what type of housing, you know that then makes it into the plan and guides us in the next five years in establishing priorities,” Hill said.
For each aspect of the plan, community members were asked to give a “SWOT” analysis about the city. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. All of these concerns will be kept into consideration as the plan develops.
Hill said the next step in the process will be to meet with workgroups to hone in on the different aspects of the plan and discuss a strategy. The community development team will write the plan and then present it to HUD.
Hill said she is aiming to release a draft of the plan in May 2020. The next meeting will be on Saturday at the City of Monroe Public Safety Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
