Groups vie for block grants

At least one of 14 organizations that applied to receive federal grant funding from Costa Mesa City Hall will get nothing if the City Council goes ahead with the Redevelopment and Residential subcommittee’s recommendations.

The Crossing Church asked for $16,680 for its homeless program from Community Development Block Grants, which the city receives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development each year, but the subcommittee is recommending that the city not fund the church on this go around.

“Part of it was a duplication of service,” said Mike Linares, community development block grants coordinator. “Other agencies are providing similar services for homeless.”

Some organizations will get what they asked for, but most will receive less, if the council follows the subcommittee’s advice.

Costa Mesa gives 15% of $1.4 million in federal Community Development Block Grants, or CDBG funding, to nonprofits in the city.

The balance usually goes toward projects and programs that serve low-income areas.

In February, the subcommittee interviewed the organizations that asked for grants. The city has about $220,000 to distribute toward $282,010 in requests.

Among those that applied for grants were five organizations that provide services for seniors; they asked for a combined $77,500 in grant money.

The subcommittee is recommending that four of the five receive what they requested. The Costa Mesa Senior Center asked for $20,000, but the subcommittee is recommending it gets $15,000. Youth organization Human Options requested $30,830, but it may only receive $16,500.

The recommendations will go before the City Council at 4:30 p.m. today at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive. Once reviewed, the recommendations would go to the council for approval May 4.