City of Springfield asks public to participate in survey assessing community needs

(From the City of Springfield)

The City of Springfield’s Planning & Development Department is soliciting public input for its Community Development Needs Survey, which assesses the community in the areas of affordable housing, economic development, public services, public and private improvements and infrastructure and public facilities. Survey results will be used in an assessment of community development needs applied to the FY2020-2024 Consolidated Plan.

The survey will be available until July 31.

“The five-year Consolidated Plan is the City of Springfield’s primary vehicle for identifying and prioritizing housing, community development, public service and economic needs and strategies to guide the use of its entitlement funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),” said Senior City Planner Bob Atchley. “The Community Development Needs Survey is one of the opportunities that will be presented to the community, allowing every member of the public to provide their input regarding the needs of Springfield. We encourage every Springfield citizen to take this opportunity to provide valuable input regarding the community’s most pressing needs.”

The survey is available online at https://communitydevelopmentneeds.questionpro.com and in paper form at the Citizen Resource Center, located on the first floor of the Busch Municipal Building, 840 N. Boonville, and at the checkout desks at the five Springfield-Greene County Library branches:
Midtown Carnegie Branch, 397 E. Central
Park Central Branch, 128 Park Central Square
Schweitzer Brentwood Branch, 2214 S. Brentwood Boulevard
The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell
The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway.

Please submit completed paper copies of the survey to:

Planning and Development Department
Busch Municipal Building
840 N. Boonville
Springfield, MO 65802
Fax: 417-864-1881
Email: batchley@springfieldmo.gov

Each year, the City of Springfield receives federal funds from HUD due to its population, demographics and available funding. The City estimates it will receive approximately $1.3 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and approximately $967,000 in HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds each of the next five years. These funds primarily benefit low-to-moderate- income households.

This survey is designed to collect public opinion regarding how the City should use funding among the five program areas. The survey is voluntary and will take five to 10 minutes to complete. Answers will be kept confidential and you may choose to not answer any question.