Rhode Island awards $5.9 million in community development grants. Who got funding?

Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Providence Journal
·4 min read

PROVIDENCE − The state announced on Tuesday that it awarded 31 community development block grants across 13 cities and towns worth a total of $5.9 million for projects ranging from housing to infrastructure and community facilities.

The money will go to groups that did not receive awards from the federal community development block grant program.

The biggest grant, $750,000 over two years, went to the Ade Bethune House in Portsmouth, a planned 54-unit senior housing project with a new senior center. The project is already slated to receive nearly $20 million in funding, plus a promise by the town to pay for the senior center on the complex grounds.

Much of the awards went to supporting seniors in Rhode Island. The second largest award went to Middletown's West House II senior affordable housing complex, with $682,917 over two years, in addition to $71,036 for an outdoor pavilion for the Middletown Senior Center.

The West House II complex will have 54 units for people 55 and older and be income restricted to those making 80% or less of the area median income. According to the 2023 income limits, that is $66,300 for a single person or $75,750 for a couple.

Among some of the larger awards were $300,000 for nonprofit developer One Neighborhood Builders' conversion of a former church and the surrounding grounds in Cumberland into 44 income-restricted housing units for people making 60% or less of the area median income. Of those apartments, 10 will be reserved for people 62 and older.

Another $500,000 in Cumberland went to the Franklin Farm Long Barn, to create a space for holding classes.

Looking Upwards, a nonprofit that helps adults with developmental disabilities, received a total of $217,173 in grants for improvements at its group homes in four communities.

See the remaining list of grant awards below, sorted by municipality:

Newport: Internet access, water fountains

A total of $693,930 was awarded across three grants in Newport:

Bristol: Group home

  • $67,103 for Looking Upwards for upgrades to a 5-bedroom group home for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Central Falls: Elevators, Progreso Latino

  • $500,000 over four years for the Central Falls Housing Authority to upgrade elevators at Forand Manor and Wilfrid Manor

  • $25,000 to Progeso Latino and Central Falls Children's Foundation to provide services to underinsured/uninsured women

  • $25,000 to Progreso Latino for the expansion of its bilingual senior citizen program

More: Developer of proposed senior affordable housing project in Middletown answers concerns

Coventry: New roofs, playground

  • $541,650 over two years to the Coventry Housing Authority for new roofs at the North Road Terrace housing building complex

  • $495,247 for a new playground, new lighting and reconstructed basketball court at Quidnick Park

Middletown: Group homes, family shelter

  • $10,890 to Looking Upwards for upgrades at two group homes

  • $35,000 for East Bay CAP for dental supplies

  • $50,000 to Lucy's Hearth, a family shelter

North Kingstown: Scholarships, case managers

  • $5,000 for scholarships for 50 children to attend the town's summer camp

  • $138,000 for two case managers and a part-time resident services coordinator at the Kingstown Crossing Apartments to provide help with housing stability and self sufficiency

North Providence: Food bank

  • $80,000 for the Tri-County-Volturno Street Food Bank for staff, operations, food and emergency vouchers

Smithfield: ADA improvements

  • $25,000 for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements at Greenville House, a short-term treatment facility for girls 13 to 17 in custody of the Department of Children, Youth and Families

South Kingstown: Food pantry and meal prep

  • $250,000 to renovate the senior center parking lot

  • $40,000 for the Jonnycake Center for its food pantry

  • $25,000 for the WARM Welcome House of Peace Dale's meal preparation

West Warwick: Drainage, group home

  • $500,000 for the Brayton Street drainage project to prevent flooding

  • $50,000 for Saint Elizabeth Adult Day Services to provide access for low- and moderate-income clients

  • $81,500 for upgrades at a Looking Upwards group home

Westerly: Group home, Meals on Wheels

  • $57,680 for upgrades to a Looking Upwards group home

  • $40,000 to the Jonnycake Center of Westerly for its emergency financial assistance program

  • $10,900 for the Meals on Wheels program

  • $96,000 for the Westerly Education Center for its certified nursing assistant, medication aide and teacher assistant cohorts

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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI hands out millions in state development grants. These projects were funded.