Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Town Council approves block grant allocations

By Jeff Kearns

Los Gatos museums came out as the big winners in the Community Development Block Grant allocations this year, along with various public service agencies and housing programs set to receive another dose of federal money in the upcoming fiscal year.

The town is scheduled to receive a total of $165,566 in CDBG funds for the 1998-99 fiscal year from Santa Clara County, which applies for the money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and distributes it among unincorporated areas and municipalities with fewer than 50,000 residents. Cities of more than 50,000 apply directly to HUD.

The Town Council tentatively approved this year's recommendations, forwarded by Community Services director Regina Falkner. Final approval is set for May 26.

The Los Gatos Museum Association, which leases the Forbes Mill and Tait Avenue museums from the town, will receive $50,000 for Americans With Disabilities-compatible modifications to improve accessibility. In previous years, grants covered similar accessibility projects at the library and Oak Meadow and Blossom Hill parks.

The town's Housing Conservation Program, which provides low-interest loans and grants to income-eligible residents for needed home repairs and accessibility improvements, will receive $45,000. Another $15,000 will go to the county's housing rehabilitation specialist, who assists the program by performing inspections, preparing estimates and negotiating contracts.

The town's affordable housing account will also get a boost after going unfunded for the last two years. This year's $8,346 allocation will be added to the $120,000 currently in the account. The funds will be used to help encourage construction of affordable housing projects for low-income families.

Four public service agencies will share $33,180. Three of the four agencies--Catholic Charities Ombudsman Program, Live Oak Adult Day Services and Second Harvest Food Bank--will receive the same amount as last year. San Jose State University's Health Place had its allotment cut by about 20 percent because of a slight reduction in available funding.

The Emergency Housing Consortium, a nonprofit agency serving the homeless in the county, did not apply for funding this year. It was given $10,000 last year.

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