The Cupertino Courier
News
Council approves grants to 14 nonprofit agencies
By Cody Kraatz
The Cupertino City Council has approved its 2007-08 nonprofit grant program, giving $500,000 to 14 organizations, at a March 20 meeting.
The bulk of the money, totaling $460,000, came from the Community Development Block Grant, which is a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The remaining $40,000 came from the city's General Fund.
About $80,000, or 17 percent, of the CDBG entitlement was allocated for administrative costs.
"I kept everybody at what they got last year," said Vera Gil, a senior planner in charge of housing. All applicants were given some money, she said, if not as much as they requested.
The CDBG funds are given to help low-income households, fix a blighted area or address a very urgent community need, according to HUD requirements. The city has disbursed HUD money for the last five years.
Representatives from the nonprofit groups are not required to attend hearings, but run the risk of losing funding if they don't show when money is tight. HUD requires a steering committee hearing and a city council hearing.
"Cupertino is the only city where we're at risk of losing funding if we don't attend at least two hearings. As a nonprofit, we are understaffed," said Tami Cárdenas, development director for Second Harvest Food Bank.
Second Harvest got $3,500 of the $5,000 it requested for Operation Brown Bag, a program that brings meals to local low-income seniors whose average income is $924 per month, she said.
"I can't streamline it any more that that," said Gil. The awarding process for the two funding programs was combined three years ago.
To help the agencies, the council voted, at Councilwoman Dolly Sandoval's initial urging, to call a special meeting at 6:45 p.m. on April 3, just before the regular meeting.
The council did not allocate $243,000 of the CDBG money that is designated for buying, building and rehabilitating affordable housing because the city did not receive any applications for it.
That money can be spent throughout the year if applications are filed, or could roll over into the next year, said Gil. Councilman Orrin Mahoney said he would like to see it spent.
From the CDBG money, Cupertino Community Services programs received about $120,000 in all, Live Oak Adult Day Services got almost $15,000 and Senior Adults Legal Assistance got about $10,000. Other programs received smaller grants.
Seven programs got a slice of the $40,000 allocated from the city's General Fund. Of the largest grants, $17,600 went to CCS, $7,000 went to Outreach and Escort, and $4,200 went to the Support Network for Battered Women.
The city also awarded United Way Silicon Valley $2,000 for its new 211 social services information and referral service, though the agency submitted a letter and not a formal application. In its first 30 days of operation, the call center processed 1,800 calls, mostly from San Jose, said a United Way representative.
