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Local repair nonprofit urges Gilroy to preserve CDBG funds for low‑income home repairs
Summary
Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley and residents told the council the nonprofit is ready and compliant to spend Community Development Block Grant funds and warned that reallocating those funds could risk HUD pulling the money if not used before the deadline.
Representatives of Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley urged the Gilroy City Council May 19 to restore Community Development Block Grant funding to their low‑income home repair program, saying the nonprofit is “shovel ready” and that reallocating the money risks noncompliance with HUD requirements.
Elena Purcell Schroeder, speaking for Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, said the program was on track to complete repairs for 15 Gilroy households by June but had already turned away more than 17 eligible families this fiscal year because of limited funding. “Our program is not only compliant, it's shovel ready,” she told the council, and asked the council to reconsider allocations at the June 2 meeting.
Linda Bostwick, another program representative, described the repairs as preventing serious health and safety outcomes — for example, fixing damaged flooring that creates fall hazards and restoring hot water. Bostwick said the program’s work directly supports the city’s five‑year consolidated plan priority of preserving affordable housing for low‑income homeowners.
Liz Murillo, a Gilroy native and board member for the nonprofit, invited council members to a lunch‑and‑learn to explain the program’s work and said the nonprofit has completed projects including wheelchair ramps and elevators for mobile home residents.
No council action was taken during public comment; the speakers asked the council to reconsider the CDBG allocation at its June 2 meeting and to prioritize funds that support existing, ready-to-implement housing repairs.
