Committee approves reallocation and earmarks affordable-housing and opioid funds, approves seven funding opportunities

The Public Health, Safety and Transportation Committee on Aug. 26 approved a package of funding recommendations that reallocates prior Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) and American Rescue Plan funds and advances seven new grant opportunities including housing and opioid use disorder programs.

Chris Vergona, director of community services, told the committee the city reviewed dozens of applications and is proposing a mix of federal and local funding to support housing, tenant assistance and recovery services. “The total funding request was over $13,000,000 and we are recommending around $6,000,000,” Vergona said.

The committee approved three linked resolutions on the agenda (items 25-0539, 25-0540 and 25-0541) that together authorize the substantial amendment and the project recommendations from year one of the Aurora Affordable Housing Fund and the city’s opioid-use-disorder grant round. Committee members voted to pass the items sequentially; each motion carried on an affirmative voice vote.

Why it matters: the actions reallocate previously awarded entitlements and set aside money for specific programs the city says respond to urgent housing and behavioral-health needs. Vergona said the city will use federal entitlement grants, the newly created Aurora Affordable Housing Fund and other sources to support the proposals and to seed future rounds of competitive funding.

Key program recommendations and clarifying details - Tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA): Vergona described a TBRA pilot modeled on the Aurora Housing Authority approach intended to assist households by subsidizing the portion of rent above 30 percent…