Nesquehoning needs responses from families living along East Diaz Avenue, between Angelini Avenue and Messina Street, to help strengthen a grant application in the hopes of getting funding a reconstruction of that block.

Approximately 23 families should have received surveys from the borough asking a few demographic questions. The survey is part of determining the eligibility of a proposed Community Development Block Grant project in a community.

Nesquehoning Borough Council, on Wednesday, noted it has applied for the CDBG grant for the reconstruction and paving of the one block in the New Columbus section of the borough, but needs to show that the families that would benefit from the project meet eligibility requirements of the grant.

Questions on the survey include the number of people living in the home, the total family income, racial characteristics of the family, ethnicity and who is the head of the household.

This is the second time Nesquehoning has applied for the CDBG funds through Carbon County, which administers the grant through the state. Nesquehoning is considered a nonentitlement community and must apply for a portion of the funds the county receives annually through the program.

Council urged all residents living along East Diaz between Angelini and Messina to fill out the surveys and get them back to the borough, 114 W. Catawissa St., before July 8 since all surveys must be turned into the Carbon County Office of Planning and Development on July 8.

The borough stresses the surveys are only for the project and will not be made public.

“We cannot stress enough the importance of your cooperation in completing and signing this survey,” a letter to the residents states.

Council on Wednesday also said that if surveys are not returned, they may designate someone to knock on residents’ doors to remind them to fill out the survey.

If families have any questions, they can contact the borough at 570-669-9588 or David Bodnar, director of the Carbon County Planning and Development office at 570-325-3671.