[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6229225,"mediaKeyId","3464415-e991b530b52d64075f228047d8cb7613","parentId",3464415,"title","Affordable Housing Commission says limited use-tax allocation and ARPA timing strain ability to meet demand","audioSeconds",1073,"startMs",6091000,"endMs",7164000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3464415-e991b530b52d64075f228047d8cb7613&start=6091&end=7164","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3464415-e991b530b52d64075f228047d8cb7613/thumbnail_6091000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6229225/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Affordable-Housing-Commission-says-limited-use-tax-allocation-and-ARPA-timing-strain-ability-to-meet-demand","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229225-8825cae2d84bb30dd4e05d66e9f93922/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095826&Signature=nfVFnqSnzNOOvHFtvIgjQhl0~93yrFhGbaqEC2ImEWtiqQnum6LUlKh~VpCwCe6M6MGh~kmjcYIsTxKmZf-h4UYTtwlnLUGsHWO43hmLITe3cmw2hD2G5y4AjwGkwOcCOz5x1SeV36E7bXhJ4e46uvtFu1r28rsftu4i0xhD34oYvLp1ourQYM23j2YmIOq8YI8Ew9tk-0Xjcuil3NVefzX47A0mlfk4MuPfdx-Y2~4XUZh7OktAm1ackkmdcZ1GtdWUUq~wF~KaOW7Plsd32msDdUKz0Gp7iLdPEFdplLnnTf8ABwdGehyndzPJ8tsabXudPOyQVzHC2RfxT2ai0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of St. Louis, MO","date","2025-05-23T15:38:57.427Z","article","April Ford Griffin, executive director of the City of St. Louis Affordable Housing Commission (AHC), briefed the Budget and Public Employees Committee on May 21 about the commission’s FY26 budget and the role of the affordable housing trust fund.

Griffin said the commission’s proposed FY26 budget totals $6,513,175, with the bulk of that in a subsidy/housing-assistance line item ($5,555,512). She described the commission’s annual competitive funding round, which in the most recent cycle produced about $4.7 million in program awards (37 nonprofit programs) and $2.0 million toward housing development that will create 88 rental units. The AHC has invested approximately $150.7 million in St. Louis housing and programs since 2003 and has produced or preserved 2,728 affordable units, Griffin said.

Why it matters: Griffin emphasized that the enabling ordinance for the trust fund requires the commission receive no less than $5 million annually from the dedicated use-tax revenue, a pledge from the fund’s origin. She said recent budgets have reduced the commission’s annual allocation below full potential and that recaptured funds from closed projects and personnel savings have helped the commission carry program funding this year.

ARPA timing and tornado impacts: Griffin said several ARPA-funded developments and contracts are in progress; she and staff are surveying awardees to check whether tornado damage will delay projects or increase requests for additional funds because construction bids and material costs have risen. She noted that some ARPA deadlines for fund liquidation could complicate projects if delays occur.

Program mix and priorities: The commission funds both development (about one-third of funding historically) and services (about two-thirds), including homeless prevention, home repair, tenant legal assistance, eviction prevention and workforce programs tied to housing stability. Awardees this round included nonprofit homeless-service providers and developers whose projects will create mixed-income rental units.

Office capacity and transparency: Griffin said the commission has seven permanent positions but carried vacancies and that staffing savings plus loan repayments and contract closeouts helped the commission’s FY26 numbers. She pointed committee members to the commission’s annual report and project-level documents the commission posts to city files for transparency. Griffin said the AHC aims to be nimble in deploying funds — a flexibility she noted is greater for the trust fund than for HUD or other federally constrained funding sources — and that the commission can amend existing nonprofit contracts to move money quickly when emergencies arise.

The committee did not vote on AHC allocations at the hearing; members thanked the director for the annual report and asked staff to continue monitoring ARPA timelines and storm impacts on housing projects.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Budget and Public Employees Committee - May 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","April Ford Griffin, executive director of the Affordable Housing Commission, told the Budget Committee that the commission’s FY26 budget centers on a $5.6 million subsidy line while statutory expectations and ARPA timing complicate the commission’s ability to meet growing housing needs.","taxTitle","St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Missouri","taxId",2587,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6229230,"Human Services director warns federal cuts could shrink homelessness and senior supports while local storm raises immediate needs",1114,2136000,3250000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3464415-e991b530b52d64075f228047d8cb7613&start=2136&end=3250","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3464415-e991b530b52d64075f228047d8cb7613/thumbnail_2136000.jpg","/articles/6229230/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Human-Services-director-warns-federal-cuts-could-shrink-homelessness-and-senior-supports-while-local-storm-raises-immediate-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229230-4ea9c27d192c3eaace6ef94a4e162622/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095826&Signature=lEhCGr1ws7YAuwqHpYgzksa~84ymhJo3Zhk0PvjkUt7OA3AXciP2lTsUiivKugR1fa6y8syZ4MWkyBqCAzCgDq3tJkSrGjTrhRZ~SkoZDBKd-r2SFjT4nmZrOztUUx3H-nCpIJksYsigc1UwGp2k2aZhIRvarupT4p6u45A6p6RZsyJYXmNJ0GCyXXQJNRkheFzX5ojyD7LTjVKhMN8R0VTS87u~a~WesJh6Ca86TvGiOrVsGMZQe501vxZ0Ddio4yFDKddPtAi2nguZ2q-PD4W-4zmv4pPioPSeUpVoLINAVKT4VunmmK3oLh7rfHS3eNZWc4xhKl6C4rub5rZVjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Adam Pearson, director of the City of St. Louis Department of Human Services, told the Budget and Public Employees Committee on May 21 that his department is facing two near-term crises: the immediate needs caused by a recent tornado and proposed federal cuts that could reduce homelessness and senior supports.

Pearson said the department runs five divisions — Youth and Family, St. Louis Area Agency on Aging (SLAA or SLAY), Office on the Disabled, Fiscal, and Homeless Services — and manages federal and local contracts for programs ranging from senior meal delivery to shelter and outreach. He said SLAY has contact with roughly 7,000 seniors and delivered 2,000 home-delivered meals on each of the two days following the storm. The department also oversees HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) funding and is collaborative applicant for the CoC’s HUD grants.

Why it matters: Pearson warned that proposed federal budget changes — including a reported cut to the Office of Community Planning and Development staffing and a potential move away from ‘‘housing first’’ approaches — could shift funds away from long-term housing toward short-term shelter. He and staff said that shift would likely make it harder to secure long-term housing outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

Federal and program risks: Pearson said a proposed White House reorganization could merge CoC funds with the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS program and convert support into shorter-term emergency solutions grants. That change, he warned, could shorten the length of support available to individuals and reduce mechanisms that emphasize permanent supportive housing. Pearson said the Administration for Community Living’s move of some programs into CMS and proposed eliminations (fall-prevention, chronic-disease programs and ombudsman funding) also risk reducing long-term supports for seniors; the city currently funds only one SLAY staff position from local dollars while most SLAY staff are federally funded.

Local impacts and immediate requests: Pearson and Deputy Director Valerie Russell described local consequences of the tornado: spike in shelter demand, more displaced renters and greater need for meal delivery. DHS requested an additional $500,000 in emergency-shelter funding for winter beds in the FY26 submission; the committee’s budget reduces that request by $200,000 to $300,000. Pearson said the department would like the full amount for winter planning and to respond to storm-related needs.

Impacted Tenants Fund: Russell described the Impacted Tenants Fund (an ordinance-created fund intended to assist tenants displaced by landlord code violations) and said $160,000 appears in the FY26 budget for it. She said that, under current ordinance language, that fund is limited to tenants displaced by landlord negligence or code enforcement actions and not explicitly for tenants displaced by a natural disaster, and the department will need a change in legislation to use the fund for tornado displacements. The department has a $100,000 contract with Employment Connection to administer the program once funds are appropriated; Russell said that administrators could scale the program quickly if the board authorizes broader eligible uses and provides additional money. DHS staff estimated that, depending on the number of displaced renters, a much larger pot (the deputy said a million dollars as an illustrative figure) would be required to meet demand from a major storm.

Shelter, ARPA and winter planning: Pearson and Russell said the city’s homelessness system currently has about 700 emergency shelter beds (roughly 96% occupied at typical times) and that point-in-time unsheltered counts rose to 387 this year from 154 last year. They said ARPA-funded temporary shelters and other grants have helped expand capacity but that some ARPA contracts are expiring and that the department asked the committee to preserve or replace expiring shelter funding.

Staffing and priorities: When asked by committee members which unfunded line items were most critical, Pearson and Russell prioritized maintaining direct-service staff in the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging (they said 19 SLAY positions are federally funded and asked the city to consider covering some of those roles locally to protect services if federal funding is cut). Russell estimated approximately $635,000 would be needed to fund 12 direct-service positions currently supported by federal grants.

The committee asked DHS to return details showing how its grants, special funds and ARPA awards can be flexed to respond to the storm and to identify near-term funding options to preserve shelter and supports.","City Department of Human Services presented FY26 requests and warned of federal funding cuts to homeless and senior programs; officials said the recent tornado has increased immediate shelter and senior meal needs and asked for flexibility in special funds to help displaced tenants.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6229235,"St. Louis Justice Center director details new programs even as staffing and medical costs strain budget",712,102000,814000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3464415-e991b530b52d64075f228047d8cb7613&start=102&end=814","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3464415-e991b530b52d64075f228047d8cb7613/thumbnail_102000.jpg","/articles/6229235/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/St-Louis-Justice-Center-director-details-new-programs-even-as-staffing-and-medical-costs-strain-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229235-7087e3e85011f27011127892df2e9c99/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095826&Signature=ZHt4C~M5lDqJL5VG6BYj312RmT~vAamvn0bGJuPcrAw4vKZO6QHZUn5d-PUVA8BegBEpxFBZzwGHY~JhDy8LIbe9LKC8vDGsuEP8ywMX2kIckAcsl5lRe9YngcE~-jx5OoFAUgo4w57UHlddCXPR5CXhqRArqKcNG3FNjQ8RX9ZLDe2Q~BUD1fP2FPhf4mKWBBHRsaW~c92DVn87xjVrG5F3rJj8UaIamojZbwzWzt0z1iCQyQCmVvCjaR1AIRCR0U0wryQX5WheO21iBuvA2Q-aUJ~qzqVNALuqCqGAOVYRwWHWNgHtPDQEq5OOpnhoy953U0I6dMFX9~uiveozNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Acting Commissioner Doug Burris told the Board of Aldermen’s Budget and Public Employees Committee on May 21 that the St. Louis Justice Center (CJC) is increasing in-jail education and treatment programs while grappling with persistent staffing shortages and a rising medical contract.

Burris said the facility at 200 South Tucker holds about 750 detainees, an increase of roughly 40 percent over four years, and that many detainees are awaiting trial rather than being convicted. He highlighted new and expanded programs — a GED partnership with St. Louis Public Schools; an opiate intervention program led by the Rev. Burton Barr; an employment-preparation program run by SLATE (Prison to Prosperity); a SafeServe food-handling certification; a veterans program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and planned opioid addiction treatment with Gateway Foundation — as central to reducing recidivism and helping residents reenter the community.

Why it matters: the department presented a larger budget request while saying its ability to operate programming and basic staff supports is constrained by unfilled positions, forced overtime and higher medical costs.

Burris gave specific program and operational details that committee members pressed him to clarify. He said two programs began in January and that unlocked education “labs” (an online learning program used in several states) will make the CJC the first jail — as opposed to a prison — in the nation to host that product. He also described a forthcoming mental-health restoration program run by the Missouri Department of Health that, per Burris’s presentation, would bring state-paid staff into the jail; the state program would reimburse the jail $90 per day for each person receiving those services, he said.

Operational pressures: Burris reported that the division proposed a total budget request of $31,883,738 for the coming year. He said nearly the entire increase over the prior year was due to medical costs: the inmate medical contract rose from $8,500,000 to $11,000,000, an increase Burris described as ‘‘about $2.5 million.’’ The department is also trimming proposed headcount in its request from 150 positions to 133 because it could not recruit enough staff. Burris told the committee that training and professional-service lines were cut: one training line fell from $30,000 to $10,000 and a professional-services request of $765,000 was approved at $0 in the proposal, which Burris said undercuts planned staff supports such as offering meals to correctional officers to improve retention.

Recruitment and safety proposals: to address vacancies and forced overtime, Burris said the department intends to contract with a national recruitment firm, the Walls Group, which he said can deliver mass candidate screening. He also described a proposed “amnesty box” in intake — an idea borrowed from St. Charles County Jail — to reduce contraband entering the facility.

Population and clinical needs: Burris said about one in four detainees has a serious psychiatric diagnosis and is on medication; one in eight is charged with murder; and one in 12 has been at the facility for more than two years, with at least one person detained more than five years. He noted the facility served approximately 18,000 meals last week and that phone-call costs for detainees were reduced after a change in law from 23¢ per minute to 7¢ per minute.

Budget follow-up: committee members questioned the origin of a $3 million contract increase that predated Burris’s tenure; Burris said the increase was the result of negotiations and a contract signed before he arrived and he could not fully explain prior steps at the hearing. Fiscal staff from the Department of Corrections’ finance team — Mignon Frazier Faluque, fiscal operations support manager — told the committee the department borrowed $1 million from the Department of Health this fiscal year to cover updated medical-contract payments and that next year’s budget should not require borrowing for medical services.

What the committee asked for: members pressed Burris for the most critical unmet needs; he identified staffing as the single highest priority, followed by competitive retention measures. He also asked the committee to consider whether the requested professional-services funding could be restored to support staff meals and retention incentives.

The committee did not take a vote on the corrections budget at the hearing; the presentation was part of the committee’s line-by-line review of departmental requests. The chair invited the corrections team to respond to follow-up questions by email.","Acting corrections leaders told the Board of Aldermen budget committee that the St. Louis Justice Center is expanding education, treatment and reentry programs while facing staff shortages, cuts to training and a jump in the medical contract that together are driving a larger budget request.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Affordable Housing Commission says limited use-tax allocation and ARPA timing strain ability to meet demand

Human Services director warns federal cuts could shrink homelessness and senior supports while local storm raises immediate needs

St. Louis Justice Center director details new programs even as staffing and medical costs strain budget