The Community Development Block Grant program provides annual grants to entitled cities and counties to provide decent housing and a suitable living environment by expanding economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons. Since 2016 Centralina has served as the CDBG Program Administrator for Mecklenburg and Union Counties to ensure they are following HUD program rules and regulations and help manage the program requirements to get federal dollars moving as quickly and effectively as possible.

Every ten years, the General Assembly requires local governments that elect governing board members on a ward basis to revise their voting ward boundaries to correct population imbalances. Often, communities gain or lose population, or the population shifts over the ten-year period. Known as “redistricting,” revising imbalanced voting wards is necessary for local governments to remain compliant with the “one-person, one-vote” equal protection clause of the United States Constitution. The one-person, one-vote principle is meant to ensure that representation and voting power remain equally distributed among voting-age constituents.

Signed into law on March 11, 2021 by President Biden, The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), provides COVID-19 funding relief for eligible state, local, territorial and tribal governments. The purpose of ARPA is to support the public health response to COVID-19, address negative economic impacts, replace experienced revenue loss, implement premium pay for essential employees and make vital broadband and water/sewer infrastructure improvements.

Stanly County celebrated National Manufacturing Day with the Centralina Workforce Development Board (WDB) and NCWorks team on September 30 and October 1 of this year with events held at the Agri-Civic Center in Albemarle. Students from four Stanly County high schools had the opportunity to tour local companies and the Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Center at Stanly Community College. The tours included FiberOn in New London, Norwood Manufacturing in Norwood and Eudy’s Cabinet Manufacturing in Stanfield.

Older adults and caregivers of older adults have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of COVID-19. In an effort to remain safely distanced from others, caregivers and their loved ones have experienced social isolation, food insecurity and financial insecurity. And as they spent more time confined at home, they also became more aware of safety issues in their homes. To help address caregiver issues that have either arisen or become more obvious during COVID, the Centralina Area Agency on Aging Family Caregiver Support Program was granted funds through the CARES Act. These funds were allocated to provide financial relief to caregivers and their families with greater flexibility than previous funding.

Throughout the pandemic, our Centralina Area Agency on Aging Ombudsman have received numerous requests from long-term care residents and families to help increase visitation. One special type of visit is the compassionate care visit in which a family member or other visitor provides comfort, support and/or assistance to a resident whose well-being is suffering, at risk or who is dying.

Centralina delegates recently met with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx to discuss regional priorities and local community needs. During the meeting, Congresswoman Foxx brought to everyone’s attention the little known benefit to businesses that are eligible for a tax exclusion of $5,250 for paying employees’ student loans. This assistance is also tax-free to the employee and available through 2025. Read more about this education assistance and the new flexibility for ARPA fund allocation.

The year 2020 made for a challenging and unique year for all, but NCWorks was determined to move into 2021 with optimism and hope. Yearning for normalcy, everyone was committed to coming together virtually for the annual NCWorks Partnership Conference, which was held virtually October 12-22, 2021. The theme was “NC Strong: Our Story of Resilience” and we were proud that Centralina Workforce Development Board Executive Director David Hollars and NextGen Specialist Solomon McAuley were selected as speakers.