SANTA PAULA : Council Allocates $257,000 in Grants

The Santa Paula City Council on Monday allocated more than $257,000 in federal housing grants to the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program, the Boys & Girls Club, the Blanchard Community Library and the city Housing Authority.

The city received a total of $280,116 in federal Housing and Urban Development community development grants according to a distribution formula based on population and need.

Under federal guidelines, the city must spend no more than 20%, or $22,590, of the HUD grant on planning and administrative costs.

The balance will fund projects that benefit poor residents.

“We try to split up funds 50-50 for housing and public improvement-type projects,” said Stephen R. Stuart, the city’s building and safety director. “We have to ask ourselves what direct benefits will the citizens of Santa Paula receive from these services.”

The Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program, which enables poor residents to refurbish their homes with low-interest loans, received $117,526 in grants this year.

The Boys & Girls Club got $100,000 to help complete the second phase of a reconstruction project.

The Blanchard Community Library, which requested $33,000 to build an adult education classroom, received $15,000 in HUD grants.

The library will raise the balance, Stuart said.

The council awarded $25,000 to the city Housing Authority to offer more housing to the poor.

This year, 19 nonprofit and public agencies countywide asked the city for a total of $564,219 in HUD community development grants.