The Bremerton city council was set to host a public hearing this week and vote on a series of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for the coming year.
Grant funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The city and other entities throughout the county serve as pass-through agencies and ensure that the administration of the grans comply with federal rules and regulations. All told, about $250,000 will be leveraged by the city to help 43,000 kids and adults throughout the community.
All funding approvals are contingent upon estimated 2014 funding from HUD, availability of reallocated funds from previous years, and program income. A Grant Recommendation Committee developed funding contingency provisions in case the city receives more or less funding than anticipated. If approved, the funding recommendations will be submitted to HUD in the 2014 Annual Action Plan, due to HUD Nov. 15.
The Bremerton city council will vote on CDGB funding recommendations that include $10,000 for the Boys & Girls Club; $10,000 for the Bremerton Foodline; $10,000 for the Kitsap Adult Center for Education (KACE); $10,000 for the Lindquist Dental Clinic for children; and $16,625 for YWCA Alive Advocacy Services.
In addition, the council will take action on capital improvement grants to help Kitsap Community Resources. Specifically, the city will contribute $125,836 to the Save West Hills Pre-School campaign (while the county contributes $174,164) and $75,000 for weatherization and minor home repair (while the county contributes $125,000).
The $10,000 contribution to the Bremerton Teen Initiative will support the Boys & Girls Club site coordinator position responsible for planning, promoting, implementing, and evaluating programs and activities for teens at the Bremerton Teen Center. Some 750 youngsters between the ages of 13-18 will benefit.
Bremerton Foodline funds will be used to supplement critical staff salaries for program critical positions of the operations supervisor and driver who are direct key personnel to maintaining the food supplies and service levels to provide neighbors in need with emergency food assistance. Bremerton Foodline also continues to leverage its facility to support neighboring food banks and community agencies. Requested funds will be directly applied only to the program services support portion of salaries and benefits. About 45,000 very low-income residents will benefit.
The KACE funding will support two coordinators and an instructor in order to provide an integrated package of instruction and transition advising, plus 5 percent of the Director’s time for overall coordination. The instructional staff assist and advise students, help with goal-setting, and link students with colleges and partners who can help increase their employability as adult students are transitioning into the workforce and/or higher education. Approximately 350 low-income folks will benefit.
The Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children funds will help provide accessible, compassionate, and effective dental care to about children under 18 in need from across the county, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
The YWCA funding for Alive Advocacy Services will be used to support partial staffing costs. This program provides family assessments, client-focused advocacy/case management, information and referral, and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence and their children who may be at risk of abuse or neglect. About 900 victims of domestic violence will be served.
The Save West Hills Pre-school capital funding will be used to build a new Head Start/ECEAP preschool classrooms on the West Hills campus in order to continue serving the low-income at risk children and their families that KCR has been serving for over twelve years at that site. About 36 children will be the beneficiaries.
The weatherization and minor home repair funds will be used by KCR for minor home repairs for 33 privately owned residential units throughout Kitsap County and its cities.
