On second thought, Lansdale nonprofit receives grant funds
August 11, 2006
By Margaret Gibbons
From North Penn Life
The Montgomery County commissioners opted Aug. 3 to provide grant funds for three of the eight nonprofit agencies that were initially left empty-handed when the county was allocating its federal community development funds.
The three additional agencies now slated to receive funds include Community Housing Services Inc. of Lansdale, the Indian Valley Opportunity Center and the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Main Line.
County officials explained there was a miscommunication concerning rule changes in the county's allocation of the federal funds and, as a result, these three agencies found themselves on the outside looking in.
In an effort to be fair, explained county Commissioners Charman Thomas J. Ellis, the commissioners decided to dip into the county's affordable housing trust funds for grant funds to subsidize the three organization's proposals.
Community Housing Services Inc, which requested for $50,000 to provide emergency housing crisis support services, will receive $37,500. The Indian Valley Opportunity Center, which had applied for $58,831 to provide social services for the needy, will receive $35,000 in trust funds. And, the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Main Line, which had requested $30,120, will receive $20,000 to help cover the salaries and benefits of employuees providing social service support forthe homeless.
The five nonprofit agencies not added to the funding list include:
- Greater Norristown Society for the Arts: Submitted a $30,000 request for a marquee for its cultural center.
- ACLAMO: Submitted a $100,000 request for start-up funds to provide childcare and initiate family literacy and school readiness programs in Pottstown.
- Variety Club: Sumitted a $70,000 request to help with the salaries and benefits of those working at the agency's residential summer camp for children with physical disabilities.
- Montgomery County Head Start: Submitted a request for $110,000 to set up a developmentally appropriate computer technology program for eligible 3 to 5 year-olds.
- \Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania: Submitted a request for $57,995 for its community liaison for homeless service programs that includes a component to educate health and human service workers about homeless issues relating to those who have mental health problems.
The eight nonprofit agencies were among the 25 such agencies and 14 municipalities seeking a share of the county's federal community development funds.
Receiving some $500,000 less than in prior years, officials in the county's department of housing and community development recommended that the requests by all 14 municipalities be funded, although most at a reduced level, and that 17 of the nonprofit agencies be funded.
The county this year received block grant funds totaling $3.79 million. Coupled with $679,983 in unused funds from prior years, the county had $4.47 million to distribute this year.
The problem is that the county received requests totaling $7.2 million including 14 municipal applications seeking a combined $2.4 million and $969,500 in requets for nonprofit agencies.