Fort Collins City Council Awards $1.7 Million to Agencies

A few decisions were made by the Fort Collins City Council on Tuesday. They awarded $1.7 million to agencies serving low-income Fort Collins residents through housing and other public services, which will serve an estimated 14,000 people during the 2013 fiscal year.

The Council allocated the funds – largely from federal sources – as part of the 2013 Spring Competitive Process. With the approval Tuesday, the Council accepted the recommendation of the City’s Community Development Block Grant Commission, which selected 29 projects and programs from a pool of 45 requests valued at $2 million.

Eleven public service agencies are receiving 100 percent of their requests for Public Service Grants. In the Housing and Public Facility Loans category, the funding will support 76 new affordable housing units in Fort Collins.

“With the number of homeless families on the rise, and the tight housing market, agencies that receive funding through this process are assisting thousands of people who otherwise have few – if any - alternatives for housing and basic human services,” said Sharon Thomas, CDBG/Home Program Administrator for the City’s Social Sustainability department. Social Sustainability is part of the City’s triple bottom line mission to serve the economic, environmental and social health and well-being of Fort Collins residents.

Agencies that will receive funding for the 2013 fiscal year (defined by the federal government as October 2013 through September 2014), as approved by the Council are:

Housing and Public Facility Loans ($744,358)

CARE Housing: Assistance with pre-development costs that will add 66 affordable housing units.

• Habitat for Humanity: Assistance with development soft costs for Cottages at Avondale that will add a minimum of 10 single-family affordable housing units.
• Housing Catalyst LLC: Wholly owned entity of the Fort Collins Housing Authority will receive funding assistance for housing rehabilitation on the Villages at Cunningham Corner.
• Elderhaus Adult Day Program Inc.: Assistance purchasing the property the organization has been using for 33 years.

Public Service Grants ($812,107)

 Alliance for Suicide Prevention: Education, awareness and support programs

• B.A.S.E. Camp: Childcare scholarships
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County: After-school and school break childcare and youth development
• CASA Program Inc.: Harmony House supervised visitation center
• Catholic Charities: Senior services, shelter services and rapid rehousing
• Center for Family Outreach: Mental/drug/alcohol assessments for low-income youth
• ChildSafe Colorado, Inc.: Child sexual abuse treatment program
• Northern Colorado AIDS Project: Client services and homelessness prevention program
• Crossroads Safehouse: Advocacy program
• Disabled Resource Services: Access to Independence
• Education & Life Training Center: JobReady and Circles employment skills training
• Elderhaus Adult Day Program, Inc.: Elderhaus/Mindset Therapy Center activity programs
• Family Center/La Familia: Childcare scholarships
• Food Bank for Larimer County: Kids Café
• Health District of Northern Larimer County: Dental Connections
• Homelessness Prevention Initiative: Emergency rental assistance
• Larimer County Child Advocacy Center Inc.: Victim services
• Matthews House (Live the Victory): Empowering Youth Program
• Neighbor to Neighbor: Housing counseling and rent assistance
• Project Self-Sufficiency: Services for single-parent families
• Rehabilitation and Visiting Nurse Association (RVNA): Home health care scholarships
• Respite Care Inc.: Childcare scholarships
• Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center: Sexual assault victim services
• Touchstone Health Partners: Community Dual Disorders Treatment (CDDT) Program and essential mental health services at the Murphy Center
• Teaching Tree Early Childhood Learning Center: Childcare scholarships
• Volunteers of America Colorado Branch: Home delivered meals service

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 Fall Competitive Process. For more information, contact Sharon Thomas at 970.221.6595 or sthomas@fcgov.com.