The City of Lenoir City Council was recognized Tuesday for the City's involvement in the Unifour Consortium HOME Program. Three councilmembers were recognized for participating in the recent Foothills Veterans Winter Stand Down.
Anthony Starr, Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) Executive Director presented Council with the Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award. The award is given by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and honors NADO members for their creative approaches to advancing regional economic development and improved quality of life.
"We're pleased to present this award [to the City]," Starr said. "In 1996, Lenoir agreed to serve as the lead entity for the consortium. Since that time, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allocated $24.7 million to the region, which helped leverage an additional $395 million for our four counties. This would not be possible, obviously, without the partnership we have with the City of Lenoir."
The program also provided down payment assistance to 3,000 first time home buyers and assisted with the development of 1,225 affordable rental units, including 380 for seniors, throughout the region. Click the following link for more information about the Down-payment Assistance Program.
"We're really pleased with the program and it could not have happened without the City of Lenoir and your excellent staff," said WPCOG Assistant Executive Director/Community Development Director Sherry Long.
In June of 1995, all twenty-eight (28) local governments in the four county area (Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba) agreed to form the Unifour Consortium HOME Program. The City of Lenoir serves as the Lead Entity for the Unifour Consortium, which receives grant money from HUD. The purpose of the Unifour Consortium is to plan and carry out regional housing activities to benefit low-income beneficiaries.
After the award presentation, Stanley McCormick, Foothills Veterans Stand Down Co-Chairman, and City of Lenoir Human Resources Manager Crystal Smith presented Mayor Gibbons, Mayor Pro Tem Crissy Thomas and Councilman David Stevens with a certificate of appreciation for assisting during the Veterans Stand Down event Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center.
"It is your caring attitude and commitment to our nation's veterans that helped make this stand down immensely successful," McCormick said. "Your continued support of our local veterans is greatly appreciated. Thank you!"
Council and WPCOG staff pose with the Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award Tuesday night, Jan. 4, 2022, during the City Council meeting. Pictured from left: Councilman David Stevens; Rick Oxford, WPCOG Housing Program Manager; Sherry Long, WPCOG Assistant Executive Director/Community Development Director; Councilman Ike Perkins; Anthony Starr, WPCOG Executive Director; Councilman Ben Willis, Mayor Joe Gibbons; Councilmen Todd Perdue and Ralph Prestwood; Mayor Pro Tem Crissy Thomas; and Councilman Jonathan Beal.
Council poses with their Foothills Winter Stand Down certificates of appreciation. Pictured from left: Councilmen David Stevens and Ike Perkins, Mayor Pro Tem Crissy Thomas, Human Resources Manager Crystal Smith, Councilmen Ben Willis and Todd Perdue, Mayor Joe Gibbons, Councilman Ralph Prestwood, Foothills Veterans Stand Down Co-Chairman Stanley McCormick, and Councilman Jonathan Beal.