Title
Funding Request from The Preserve (NB)
Explanation
At the June 27, 2005 City Commission meeting, representatives of The Preserve, a non-profit agency that provides transitional housing for homeless male teens, requested that the City provide $30,000 as grant match for staffing for The Preserve. Five teens would be served. During the current fiscal year, The Preserve was awarded $3,800 from CDBG. The Preserve was also funded $50,412 for acquisition in FY 2002-03 for Alachua County Housing Authority.
Typically such funds are provided via the City's block grant allocation process, with applications submitted early in the calendar year and then reviewed by the Citizen Advisory Committee for Community Development and staff, with recommendations made during the summer to the City Commission. Final decisions are made on a competitive basis.
This year, that cycle is largely complete and the City Commission will be making its allocation decisions on August 1, 2005. The Preserve did not request funding through that allocation process. The Preserve has indicated that a response is needed by July 11, 2005.
Fiscal Note
Sources of funding could be City Commission contingency or General Fund-Fund Balance for a reduced or full amount. Commission decision on CDBG funding will not occur until after the deadline cited by The Preserve. It is proposed to set aside $50,000 for a homeless capital project through CDBG next year; however, Community Development has advised that staffing or operations would not be eligible from the funds proposed for set-aside. Additionally, end of year funds may be available based on tax collections; however, OMB is still working on these numbers.
Recommendation
The City Commission direct staff on funding this request.