Indio‘s City Council approved significant financial support to local organizations responding to homelessness, food needs and tenant/landlord issues. The total of $2,173,345 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds authorized for Fiscal Year 2020/2021 will also be used to assist community organizations handle a greater demand for needed services resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, funds will be used to purchase masks and gloves to help local businesses safely re-open. The City will also make investments in the Indio Teen Center and Indio Senior Center and will continue its efforts to enhance street lighting in some of the older parts of the City.
The funding authorized at the City’s June 3, 2020 meeting comes from the City’s annual allocation of federal dollars, new funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and rollover funds from projects in previous years.
“We are fortunate to be able to help some of the most highly valued community service programs in Indio through this funding,” said Indio Mayor Glenn Miller. “We have prioritized job training, fair and affordable housing programs, public infrastructure and home improvement projects, and increased public services because of their ability to directly impact residents and neighborhoods.”
Since the 1970’s, the City of Indio has participated in the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). CDBG funds can only be used for activities or in neighborhoods designated as eligible under HUD criteria.
The Indio City Council approved the following spending of the CDBG funds, which will be available beginning on July 1, 2020:
$66,666 – Coachella Valley Rescue Mission Emergency Food & Overnight Shelter
$66,666 – Martha’s Village and Kitchen Overnight Shelter and Supportive Services
$66,666 – FIND Food Bank Food Distribution & Outreach Program
$163,370 – Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board Fair Housing and Tenant Services
$168,000 – Inland Counties Legal Services Tenant Representation and Eviction Protection
$100,000 – Business Assistance Program—Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
$50,000 – Minor Home Repair Program
$50,000 – Meals on Wheels Program
$852,977 – Light Emitting Diode (LED) Street Light Conversion Project
$67,500 – Indio Teen Center Facility Improvements
$72,500 – Indio Senior Center Facility Improvements
$75,000 – Neighborhood Cleanup Assistance Program
$200,000 – Dr. Carreon Park Landscaping and Irrigation Improvements