Carlsbad CA— The Carlsbad City Council has approved increased funding to expand a local homeless shelter and provide increased rental assistance, food service other basic needs for the city’s most vulnerable community members.
At its May 5 meeting, the City Council approved $58,000 to Catholic Charities, which runs the La Posada de Guadalupe homeless shelter. The money will be used to expedite a planned expansion of the shelter. In addition, the city granted a total of $175,000 in funding to the following:
La Posada homeless services
$54,848
Interfaith Community Services
$40,000
Women’s Resource Center
$5,000
Brother Benno
$7,500
Meals-on-wheels
$5,000
Community Resource Center
$5,000
The city had already allocated some funding for these services through a federal program that provides money to cities to be used to help low income residents. That program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, has strict limits on how the money can be used. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act, provides greater flexibility and an expedited process so more of this money can be directed toward those most in need during the COVID-19 emergency.
The HUD funding program, called Community Development Block Grants, helps cities provide “decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.” The money comes from the federal government, and cities work with their communities to decide how to spend it.