Coronavirus aid funds go unspent |

PALMDALE — Town has unused federal funding, some offered as a part of the Coronavirus Help, Aid and Financial Safety Act, that’s unspent largely as a result of restrictions on spending it meant that metropolis officers couldn’t discover certified candidates for the help.

The Metropolis Council, on Wednesday, reviewed the annual report required by the Division of Housing and City Growth exhibiting how funding has been spent towards assembly the town’s acknowledged objectives.

Palmdale was awarded $1.54 million in Neighborhood Growth Block Grants, $577,747 in House Funding Partnership funds, further CDBG and HOME funds carried over from final yr and $1.93 million in COVID-related funds for 2021-2022, based on the report.

Mayor Professional Tem Richard Loa questioned why all of the allocations had not been spent, particularly citing the $320,000 in CDBG funds for financial alternative applications and $300,000 for rental help.

“Though the funds are there, generally it’s arduous to seek out people that we are able to work with to allocate the funds to,” Neighborhood Providers Director Mike Miller stated. “We simply haven’t had the power to seek out people to make the most of the funds.”

“Typically these funds are so restrictive that it’s arduous to seek out companies that qualify,” Financial and Neighborhood Growth Director Luis Garibay stated, regardless of in depth outreach efforts.

In lots of instances, different, much less restrictive funding was discovered for companies that didn’t qualify, he stated.

Funds that weren’t used shall be reallocated to different applications, Miller stated, with a plan for such reallocations anticipated to be dropped at the Council, in October.

Loa additionally questioned how the town is responding to the disaster in homeless people and addressing psychological well being points concerned.

Palmdale’s inhabitants of homeless residents elevated barely, to 309, within the 2022 rely, launched by the Los Angeles Homeless Providers Authority, on Thursday. It is a slight enhance over the 2020 rely of 289 individuals.

Metropolis workers work with various companions to deal with the difficulty, Miller stated.

“We try for zero homelessness,” he stated, however the low quantity additionally impacts funding for such applications.

Town is working towards having a winter shelter, this yr, with service suppliers on web site to seize those that want companies corresponding to well being care, psychological well being and substance abuse therapy.

Though the town strives for zero homeless, “principally we’ve got virtually run out of housing on this space to put individuals. It’s a wrestle,” Miller stated.

That is a part of the five-year homeless plan beneath growth, he stated.

“I do know the necessity is huge, everyone knows that, however this report exhibits how many individuals truly benefited from some of these applications,” Councilmember Juan Carrillo stated. “We all know the necessity is bigger, however we’re doing the very best we are able to.”

agatlin@avpress.com