West Orange is among 16 Essex County municipalities to receive Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), according to a press release released Tuesday by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr.

West Orange will receive government-sponsored project grants totaling $351,352 for improvements:

● Township of West Orange Main Street Counseling - Mental Health Services, $10,000
● Erwin Place Reconstruction, $132,000
● Liberty Street Reconstruction, $40,000
● Ridge Avenue Reconstruction, $52,352
● Kling Street Reconstruction, $117,000 

The township will also receive a non-profit project grant for $9,480 for parking lot and sidewalk paving for the Valley Settlement House. 

A total of $4.4 million was distributed Tuesday through the CDBG program, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Essex County Division of Housing and Community Development.

“Programs supported through the CDBG programs are direct investments to provide services that enhance our quality of life and help stabilize our neighborhoods by modernizing our infrastructure,” DiVincenzo said in the release.

“These federal grants enable us to upgrade our sidewalks and roads, enhance handicap access, address mental health needs, support food pantries and stimulate economic development in our downtown commercial areas,” he added.