City asks low-income residents to help it better fund area
nonprofits
Chris Bone – Staff Writer
cb***@gi************.com
GILROY
If the city wants federal cash, it has to consult low-income residents who understand local nonprofits.
Nonprofit organizations and charities contribute to the lives of Gilroy families who cannot afford adequate housing and food, so who better to consult about funding prioritization than those who see the effects of that money?
That is why low- to moderate-income residents have until Dec. 3 to declare their interest in serving on the Citizens Advisory Committee: a body with 11 seats that rates and ranks proposals for nonprofit funding.
The city council reviews these recommendations and then determines which agencies and organizations receive further funding.
“This is a perfect opportunity to represent your community and voice your opinion and determine Gilroy’s future,” wrote Housing and Community Development Technician Sandra Nava. “More Hispanic representation in the CAC is also needed to reflect the diversity and needs of Gilroy residents.”
The grant cash comes from a mixed pool of funds.
While the ratio varies by year, the grants generally come from the city’s Housing Trust Fund and a Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Federal law requires citizen participation in the awarding of the money, although council members have traditionally exerted some control over the process, according to City Administrator Jay Baksa.
A slight row emerged during the funding approvals in April 2005, when the council signed off on $125,872 in grants. That year there was more grant money available than what the nonprofit applicants requested, an unusual situation that contributed to the council’s frustration with some of the CAC’s grant decisions, according to City Administrator Jay Baksa.
Councilman-elect Bob Dillon and outgoing Councilman Russ Valiquette, who served on the body at the time, questioned some of the rewards: a $29,412 grant for tenant-landlord counseling services, a $5,000 grant to reduce transportation costs for elderly and disabled people and a $4,320 grant for a video that helps disabled people locate housing appropriate to their needs.
Still, federal law requires the need for grassroots opinion, and the city recognizes that. Under the current process, the director of the city’s Community Development Department, Wendie Rooney, appoints residents to the committee, with the restriction that appointees cannot work for any grant applicants. Rooney and other city officials involved with the CAC did not return messages for comment by deadline Monday.
Six people serve on the committee now, but one person’s two-year term is up, so there are six open spaces this year for a total of 11 seats, but Housing and Community Development Coordinator Marilyn Roaf said nobody has applied yet.
Those interested should contact Nava at 846-0290, or at
sa*********@ci.us
.
