Mesa council to vote on $6.8M in federal and local grants

By Richard Dyer
Mail | Twitter: @RHDyer

The Mesa City Council is set to vote in April on which agencies and organizations will share in the more than $6.8 million in federal and local grants for housing and community development needs such as food banks, shelter services and the city’s rental and utility deposit program.

“(T)hese programs and services provide assistance to low- and moderate-income persons in the community and the programs and services are funded to eligible projects that meet the specific strategic priorities,” said Michelle Albanese, the city’s housing and community development director, at a Feb. 24 City Council study session.

“It is always challenging because there are so many great programs that apply and always more than what we have funding available for,” she said.

The council is to vote on the funding at its April 18 meeting. The meeting begins at 5:45 p.m. in the council chambers, 57 E. First St.

Funding priorities for the city of Mesa, according to Albanese, are:

• Homeless response and prevention strategies;
• Vital human services/community needs;
• Access to affordable housing options;
• Education and job training; and
• Public facility improvements.

CDBG funding

The city anticipates receiving $4,286,734 in community development block grants (CDBG), which will be added to CDBG funding already in the city’s coffers that has not yet been used.

Of the annual allocation, no more than 15% can be used for public services and 20% for program administration, Albanese said.

“And the remaining 65% of the allocation can go to non-public service activities, which include housing rehabilitation — which is one of our core programs -- public facility improvements, as well as construction,” she said.

Community development block grants going to public services (by agency, project name and recommended award) are:

• A New Leaf, for La Mesita Family Shelter — $85,570.
• A New Leaf, for housing support services — $44,303.
• Central Arizona Shelter Services Inc., for case management for homeless Mesa individuals — $73,682.
• Community Bridges Inc., for homeless navigation services — $90,859.
• Community Bridges Inc., for Mesa mobile community outreach and crisis stabilization — $37,787.
• Copa Health, Inc., for Copa Health Homeless Day Center and community court — $249,347.
• Family Promise–Greater Phoenix, for Mesa family shelter — $61,463

Community development block grants going to non-public services (by agency, project name and recommended award) are:

• Central Arizona Shelter Services Inc. for single adult shelter renovation project — $312,130.
• City of Mesa for rehabilitation programs — $3 million.
• City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department for Reed Park playground rehabilitation — $1 million.

H.O.M.E. program

A total of $1,546,684 is anticipated from the H.O.M.E. Investment Partnership program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“These funds complement and support other programs in the community and there are specific eligible categories which include homebuyer activities, rental housing and tenant-based rental assistance. So it’s a shorter term — about two years — to get people back on their feet to move into permanent housing,” Albanese said.

One project for funds from the H.O.M.E. Investment Partnership program is for the city of Mesa, with $200,000 for a rental and utility deposit program.

Emergency solutions

The city is to receive $346,781 in Emergency Solutions Grants, Albanese said.

“This program is solely to address homelessness and to assist persons experiencing homelessness,” she said. “With this particular grant, a maximum of 60% of the allocation can go to shelter services and this grant engages persons who are homeless, living on the street, as well as rapid rehousing, homeless prevention and emergency shelter.”

Emergency Solutions Grants (by agency, project name and recommended award) are:

• A New Leaf, for the East Valley Men’s Center — $100,772.
• Circle the City, for Mesa street medicine outreach — $20,000.
• Save the Family Foundation of Arizona for Lutheran Social Services of the SW collaborative grant — $200,000.

Human services programs

Fourteen agencies, the Mesa Public Library and the city of Mesa are slated to receive $620,000 available for human services funding.

“The city provides funding for these programs through the local general funds as well as ABC — or A Better Community — donation program through the utility billing. These programs include essential services to address crisis, basic needs, emergency shelter, food and academic enrichment and other critical community needs,” Albanese said of human services programs.

Applications received scores

A committee appointed by the Mesa City Council goes through all applications for funding, City Manager Chris Brady said.

“They see everything. They vet through the entire application process and score all of the applications. ... The Housing and Community Development Advisory Board, appointed by council, does that; and then the agencies make their own presentations,” he said.

Scored applications next go to city staff members, Albanese said.

“(W)e are scoring a component of the applications more for eligibility, meeting federal requirements, agency’s capacity. And so those two scores are put together and averaged and that’s how we come up with the final application score,” she said.

“So we bring the council that recommendation,” Brady said.

The Housing and Community Development Advisory Board’s average scores (up to 30 points) and staff’s scores (up to 70 points) were combined to establish an overall score for each application, according to a memo to the council from Albanese,

“The housing and community development director received the compilation of scores, considered the city council strategic priorities and developed the proposed funding recommendations,” it states.

Housing and Community Development Advisory Board meetings are open to the public. The purpose and duties of the Housing and Community Development Advisory Board are to advise the Mesa City Council on housing, community development, social services priorities, funding and planning across the community, according to the city’s website.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.