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Half Moon Bay council cuts recommended CSFA funding, boosts two frontline nonprofits
Summary
City staff recommended three funding scenarios for the Community Services Financial Assistance program; the council voted to approve a smaller, $200,000 baseline allocation with an immediate additional $27,000 directed to Coastside Hope and Abundant Grace, bringing the adopted total to $227,000 and scheduling a midyear review.
The Half Moon Bay City Council voted May 20 to fund the Community Services Financial Assistance (CSFA) cohort at a reduced baseline while increasing immediate support for two frontline nonprofits.
City staff presented three options for the CSFA program — maintaining the current $300,000 allocation, reducing it to $250,000, or reducing to $200,000 with a midyear review to consider adding funds later. After public comment from agency leaders and residents, the council adopted the $200,000 baseline (option C) and amended that motion to add $17,000 to Coastside Hope and $10,000 to Abundant Grace, for a total of $227,000 in FY 2025–26 support.
The CSFA program supports a cohort of local nonprofits that deliver safety-net services on the coast. Julissa Acosta, community services analyst for the city, summarized the program’s evolution from small grants to a coordinated cohort model and described this year’s technical assistance work, including deployment of a shared client-referral platform, Unite Us. “We are administering the side,” Acosta said of the platform administration role by the city, noting nonprofits will be able to track referrals and client status through the system.
Nonprofit representatives told the council how CSFA funding is used locally. Caitlin Freeburg, programs director for Coastside Hope, said the organization served 3,268 Half Moon Bay residents with food, clothing, shelter and other services this year — figures she described as well above program goals. “Residents in Half Moon Bay are struggling,” Freeburg said, citing sharp increases in clients seeking food assistance and case management.
Other presenters described how the cohort model and technical assistance have helped agencies coordinate referrals and leverage additional grants. Staff and speakers described the Alcove youth-access model (a multi‑service youth center funded through mental‑health state funds) as an example of a program that benefited from cohort collaboration and letters of support.
Councilmembers discussed tradeoffs between the city’s structural budget deficit and immediate community needs. Several members urged protecting safety‑net services for food, housing, transportation and senior supports. The final motion carried on a 3–1 roll call: Councilmember Nagengast voted yes, Councilmember Penrose voted no, Vice Mayor Redick voted yes, and Mayor Brownstone voted yes.
Council directed staff to return at the midyear financial review (February 2026) to consider whether additional funds could be allocated if city revenues permit. The council’s motion instructed staff to implement the adopted funding and to continue the cohort’s technical work, including Unite Us onboarding and continued coordination among grantees.
The decision preserves the cohort’s operational structure while prioritizing immediate additional funding to two organizations the council identified as handling urgent food and basic-needs work. Staff said nonprofits have reported they are meeting or close to meeting deliverable goals for the year and that the two‑year grant cycle adopted earlier reduces administrative burden for grantees and the city.
Looking ahead, Acosta told the council the city will continue to provide technical assistance resources to the cohort and finalize the Unite Us rollout to participating nonprofits this summer.
The council also asked staff to provide clearer reporting on CSFA outcomes and reaffirmed that the program funding supports Half Moon Bay residents specifically, per grantee reports.
