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Residents urge much larger funding and capacity-building for grassroots anti-violence programs
Summary
Community speakers said existing grant lines are insufficient, asked council to expand anti-violence grants and invest in professionalizing neighborhood organizations to scale results.
Residents and community advocates at the town hall pressed council members to expand funding and operational support for grassroots violence-prevention organizations.
A public speaker described reductions in shootings in one neighborhood where local groups coordinated with the police and hospitals, and asked the city to increase both grant funding and funding for capacity building so community organizations can scale. “We need more money so these organizations can capacity build, and we need more money for these organizations to scale up,” the speaker said during public testimony.
Budget staff noted that the mayor’s proposal includes a $25 million operating allocation for anti-violence grants administered by the Office of Public Safety, but council members and multiple residents pointed out that this is not the only funding source for violence-prevention work and urged a larger, multi-department approach. Council Member Jeffrey J. Young noted that separate pots of funds and grants are administered by other departments and that organizations can apply in those venues as well.
Speakers at the meeting highlighted two working priorities: (1) increasing the total dollar investment available to community-led anti-violence groups, and (2) investing in training and back-office supports so smaller organizations can manage larger grants and meet reporting requirements. One community speaker cited per-incident cost estimates presented at the microphone — saying a single homicide can cost between $1 million and $2 million and a shooting between $800,000 and $1,000,000 when accounting for medical, criminal-justice and related costs — as a rationale for more preventive spending.
Council members acknowledged the requests and said they would pursue options through budget negotiations. Several council members also referenced existing state and philanthropic grant opportunities and encouraged groups to apply. The mayor’s staff and council indicated they will continue to hold hearings and consider reallocations during the formal budget process.
No formal council action or change to the administration’s proposed $25 million anti-violence grants line was adopted at the town hall; attendees requested follow-up and additional details on how small groups can access funds and technical assistance.
