Council approves FY25 grants: $30,000 for emergency rental assistance and $6,000 for resident food-safety training
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Summary
Council authorized one-time allocations from FY25 grant funds: up to $30,000 to the Greenbelt Emergency Assistance Fund for rental help and $6,000 for a resident food-safety workforce training program to support use of the community center kitchen and distribution of market produce.
Greenbelt — The City Council moved to allocate remaining FY25 grant funds to two community priorities: emergency rental assistance and resident food-safety training.
Council authorized the City Manager to allocate up to $30,000 from the FY25 grants and contributions line to the Greenbelt Emergency Assistance Fund for rental help to city residents. Staff noted the fund is administered locally and had disbursed $29,240 in FY25 from donations and local contributions; council emphasized the funds can be encumbered in FY25 and disbursed as needed to prevent imminent evictions.
Separately, council authorized up to $6,000 to underwrite food-safety training for residents, a workforce-development measure to certify up to two cohorts (approximately 20 residents) to use the community center’s kitchen for food preparation and to safely redistribute leftover produce from the Greenbelt Farmers Market. The training would be run through the community center and is intended to provide short-term job skills while supporting local food distribution efforts.
Why it matters: Councilmembers said eviction prevention and food-safety training are urgent community needs; staff noted prior ARPA funds had supported rental assistance in earlier years but that the ARPA pot has been exhausted and local donations now fund the emergency assistance program.
Formal action and conditions: Council approved both allocations by majority voice votes. Staff will work with the Greenbelt Emergency Assistance Fund and community-center staff to define eligibility, application and disbursement procedures; council members asked for reporting on recipients and expenditures.