Brewster Hopes Designation Opens Funding Opportunities
The Village of Brewster has applied for designation as an Opportunity Area, and results of the applications are expected within the next month.
The Opportunity Areas are part of the state’s Regional Development agenda and look to target distressed areas and increase the availability of state funding to these areas.
“What the governor has done this year is he’s basically added this Opportunity Area agenda to his strategic plan,” said Meghan Taylor, president of the Putnam County Economic Development Corporation. “As long as you hit certain criteria, you would be able to qualify to apply to be deemed as an Opportunity Area.”
Criteria include poverty rates, home ownership rates, income levels and other indicates of distress. The aim of the initiative is to target funding towards communities most in need, and Taylor said Brewster met the criteria.
“Now, we are in the process of waiting for the state to get back to us, which is supposed to be within the month,” she said. The village, she added, is one of seven applicants, including three villages, in the region applying for the designation. She said one city and one village would likely be designated. Brewster is the only applicant from Putnam County.
Being designated as an Opportunity Area would not automatically mean additional funding, but would improve the village’s standing in certain funding applications.
“If you are designated as an opportunity area, you are basically granted additional points through the Consolidated Funding Application process,” said Taylor. “What this does is this positions the community that is deemed as the Opportunity Area at a slight advantage over others.”
Taylor said she is optimistic Brewster will be chosen.
