Community Fund asks council to consider raising annual grant budget as homelessness needs grow

Members of the Montpelier Community Fund asked the City Council on July 23 to consider increasing the annual city contribution to the Fund to keep pace with growing grant demand, particularly for services addressing homelessness. The request matters because the Community Fund said it is being asked to fill growing emergency service gaps and that level funding constrains its ability to meet community needs without returning to the ballot to seek additional support. Christopher Kaufman Illustrip, a member of the Community Fund commission, thanked the council for prior support and said many applications this year "had to do with the crisis around people who are unhoused. It takes up a pretty significant amount of the budget," he said. He said grant applicants have expressed concern that level funding reduces available awards and could push nonprofits back to ballot initiatives to secure additional funding. Kaufman also noted that the fund's allotment has remained level for at least five years and possibly longer and asked the council to consider increasing the contribution "at least around the rate of inflation" in next year's budget planning. The council moved and approved the fund's recommendation at the meeting without amendment. Ending: The council approved the Community Fund's recommendation; staff and fund commissioners will continue to discuss budget planning and commission membership as volunteers rotate.