GILROY
– Despite more clients knocking at the door and less government
dollars during hard times, community-based organizations serving
Gilroy did not bombard the city with requests for an unusually high
amount of its federal grant funds this year.
GILROY – Despite more clients knocking at the door and less government dollars during hard times, community-based organizations serving Gilroy did not bombard the city with requests for an unusually high amount of its federal grant funds this year.
In fact, the overall amount of requests for the city’s annual share of so-called Community Development Block Grant funding – about $154,000 – was dramatically less than last year’s $240,000 in total requests.
The reason? For one, the city received three less requests this year than last – and two of the absences had asked for a combined $68,000 last year.
Meanwhile, many who did ask for money are repeat agencies who probably know what to expect, said Marilyn Roaf, who administers the program for the city.
“They kind of know what to ask for in relation to what’s available,” she said. “It’s not so much a question of the need (not) being out there, but they know what’s available in the process.”
The City Council gave preliminary approval to $60,000 in CDBG funding Monday for 12 individual programs spanning 11 community-based organizations.
The money comes from a larger $593,000 grant the city receives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but HUD limits expenditures on public services to 15 percent of the total award.
When combined with city income from city rehabilitation loans, that means around $100,000 for public services. Roughly $40,000 of that is given to the city’s Youth Center, and the rest is divvied among other groups who aim to serve low- and moderate-income people with a Council-placed emphasis on “shelter, food and families.”
The city usually gets many more requests than it can handle.
“It’s of course a limited pot for so many services being offered,” Roaf said.
Monday’s awards followed the advice of a citizens advisory committee, which recommended funding perennial charities St. Joseph’s Family Center, Community Solutions and the Emergency Housing Consortium as well as new requests such as a Rebekah Children’s Services’ summer program for teen mothers and the Healthy Kids insurance program for children.
Many showed up to say thanks.
“We’re having a banner year, unlike a lot of other businesses,” said St. Joseph’s David Cox, who noted services to the poor have increased by up to a third during the slow economy.
The only group that did not get cash was the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center’s disabled housing program. The agency had requested roughly $7,500, but received a relatively low ranking and has not received city funds in the past. And although it was approved, the rationale behind a $4,000 contribution to the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation’s Healthy Kids program was questioned by Councilman Roland Velasco.
Healthy Kids targets children from low-income families that don’t qualify for other federal or state health assistance programs like Medi-Cal or Healthy Families, either because their parents’ incomes are too high or because they are undocumented immigrants. It’s traditionally funded through tobacco settlement money and grants.
Healthy Kids’ Kirsten Blankenbecler said the agency is trying to get support from each of the county’s cities now as well. The $4,000 would provide insurance for four Gilroy youths.
Velasco, a social services aide for District 1 County Supervisor Don Gage, wondered if the money would stretch farther at another agency.
“I’m just feeling a little funny and awkward about this,” he said.
But Councilman Peter Arellano thought it was a good bang for the buck.
“I think it’s a lot – for the amount of money we’re paying to have health and dental (coverage) is outstanding,” he said.
Funding for Project Sentinel was also handled differently this year – and also drew some attention.
A fair housing program that investigates housing discrimination received $9,000 from a separate pool of CDBG money. And the agency’s tenant/landlord housing counseling program got $15,000 from the city’s Housing Trust fund because officials said it complements work by city building code enforcement staff. In the past, each has received money from the public services pool.
Velasco expressed concern that the new arrangement would become automatic.
“If it gets to that, we need to put them in the mix with all of the other agencies that provide services,” he said.
Noticeably absent from the list this year was the OUTREACH program, which traditionally provided a case manager at the city’s Senior Center.
The program received $4,000 last year, but was cut back when its parent agency cut its funding and the city declined to pick up the rest of the tab.
The citizens committee included former Councilwomen Lupe Arellano and Connie Rogers, Judy Garcia, Nancy Shardell and Sam Bozzo
.
CDBG grants
City Council tentatively awarded $60,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding to the following public-service agencies Monday:
• Catholic Charities (long-term care): $4,000 of $4,210 requested
• Catholic Charities (daybreak respite caregiver support): $4,000 of $12,659
• Community Solutions (La Isla Pacifica women’s shelter): $6,000 of $10,000
• Economic and Social Opportunities (CAUSA tutorial): $4,000 of $10,000
• Emergency Housing Consortium (homeless housing): $6,000 of $10,000
• HOPE Rehabilitation Services (community employment): $4,000 of $11,149
• Live Oak Adult Day Services (adult day care): $4,000 of $4,000
• MACSA (summer day camp 2003): $6,000 of $15,716
• Rebekah Children’s Services (teen moms summer program): $4,000 of $4,000
• Santa Clara Family Health Foundation (Healthy Kids program): $4,000 of $15,480
• Second Harvest Food Bank (Operation Brown Bag): $5,000 of $5,250
• St. Joseph Family Center (housing and family services): $9,000 of $10,000
• Project Sentinel (tenant/landlord counseling): $15,000 from Housing Trust funds
• Project Sentinel (fair housing): $9,000 from CDBG administrative pool
