An after-school center that provides tutoring and recreational
activities will be among recipients of federal housing money this
year after the Morgan Hill City Council authorized funds from its
annual Community Development Block Grant award.
Morgan Hill – An after-school center that provides tutoring and recreational activities will be among recipients of federal housing money this year after the Morgan Hill City Council authorized funds from its annual Community Development Block Grant award.
The Morgan Hill-based human service provider Community Solutions will receive $17,500 for the El Toro Youth Center on Crest Avenue for its variety of programs addressing the needs of low-income families. The programs include computer literacy classes, homework assistance and “survival” workshops including drug and alcohol awareness.
Additionally, Community Solutions will receive $16,000 for its La Isla Pacific Shelter for Battered Women. The location of the women’s shelter, which offers crisis intervention, legal advice and counseling, is kept confidential under state law.
“It’s a small percentage of our total funding, but it’s still a big hole to make up if we don’t get it,” said Community Solutions Director Lisa DeSilva, adding the battered women’s shelter runs on a budget of more than $500,000 per year. “It’s also an important vote of confidence and show of support from our local city government.”
In addition to allocations of $145,000 in CDBG funds, the city authorized some $88,000 in grants from other sources, including the Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency.
A total of eight nonprofit organizations will receive the grants during the next fiscal year that starts July 1. Other groups receiving grants included Catholic Charities, which will get $28,000, and Project Sentinel, which will receive $25,000.
Additionally, the city council allocated about $11,000 for the city’s Youth Outreach Scholarship Program and $89,000 for new sprinklers and lighting at the Galvan Park soccer field. The soccer field upgrades will be covered by special CDBG funds earmarked for capital improvements rather than community services.
Each year, the city distributes a relatively small amount of money to nonprofit agencies providing a variety of social services to Morgan Hill residents.
With limited money to go around, not everyone got as much as they requested. Live Oak Adult Day Services in Gilroy asked for $10,000 but received about $6,000.
“It just means we’ll have to fund-raise from other sources to make up the difference,” said Cheryl Huguenor, program manager for Live Oak Adult Day Services, which cares for up to 25 seniors per day while their families work. “But the city of Morgan Hill has been very supportive since we opened here 14 years ago, both monetarily and with residents’ volunteer work.”
This year the city was awarded $138,000 in CDBG funds from the federal government to improve housing opportunities for needy families. An additional $7,000 in left-over CDBG funds from last year is being added to that amount for a total of $145,000.
Of this total, some $41,000 is going to programs serving the community and about $89,000 is being applied to the Galvan Park improvements. Additionally, $15,000 will go to the city to cover administrative costs associated with distributing the yearly funds.
Most of the grant money will come from the Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency. By law, the agency must ensure that 20 percent of its tax increment funds are used to improve or preserve the supply of low- and moderate-income housing. This year, five nonprofit groups will get $60,000 from the RDA’s 20-percent set-aside.
GRANTS AWARDED
Day Break Respite Program $8,600
Catholic Charities
Long Term Care Ombudsman $4,500
Catholic Charities
Shared Housing, Depot Commons $15,000
Catholic Charities
Operation Brown Bag $5,940
Second Harvest Food Bank
La Isla Pacific Shelter For Battered Women $16,000
Community Solutions
El Toro Youth Center $17,275
Community Solutions
Homeless Shelter and Services $15,000
Emergency Housing Consortium
Adult Day Care $5,965
Live Oak Adult Day Services
Tenant-Landlord Dispute Resolution $25,000
Project Sentinel
Rebuilding Home Repair Days $2,500
Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley
Housing Program for Persons with Disabilities $1,500
Silicon Valley Independent Living Center
