CDBG advisory committee recommends $255,000 for 13 public‑service programs, sets contingency rules

The City of Glendale’s CDBG Advisory Committee on Feb. 28 recommended $255,000 in public social services funding to support 13 local programs serving low‑ and moderate‑income residents. The committee also set contingency guidance for staff to proportionally adjust awards if final federal funding levels differ.

What the committee recommended The committee’s recommended allocations (forwarded to City Council for approval) cover a range of social services including housing navigation, domestic‑violence counseling, fair‑housing work and youth programs. Recommended awards are: Armenian Engineers & Scientists of America (STEM Academy) $10,000; Armenian American Civil Support Center (transportation/info services) $0 (no award recommended); Homenetmen Glendale (mental wellness for athletes) $10,000; Armenian Bar Association (pro bono legal clinic) $20,000; Armenian Relief Society of Western USA (community outreach and ESL) $64,000; Catholic Charities (Loaves & Fishes) $32,000; Committee for Armenian Students in Public Schools (group counseling) $34,000; Door of Hope (domestic‑violence mental health/case management) $10,000; Glendale Youth Alliance (youth employment) $10,000; Home Again Los Angeles (crisis aid for homeless families) $15,000; Housing Rights Center (Glendale fair‑housing services) $10,000; Salvation Army (People’s Choice Market food pantry) $20,000; and YWCA of Glendale & Pasadena (mental health services for survivors of domestic violence) $20,000. The total recommended package is $255,000.

Mid‑year performance and staff presentation Tara Vadisian, CDBG staff, presented the mid‑year performance report for public social services agencies and walked the committee through the July 1–Dec. 31, 2024 reporting period. The mid‑year briefing summarized outcomes and expenditures for funded agencies: some providers had already met or exceeded key outcomes (for example, several agencies reported serving more clients than initially proposed, and Armenian Bar Association exceeded its stated goals for legal assistance), while others had expended a portion of their awards earlier in the fiscal cycle and were still on track with invoicing.

Applicant interviews Committee members conducted back‑to‑back interviews with agency representatives. Questions from committee members focused on program reach, verifiable Glendale residency rates, fundraising sufficiency, project readiness (for capital requests) and operational sustainability. Several applicants said they would accept reduced funding if the committee could not fully meet requests; others emphasized the risks of cutting particular staff lines (case managers, mental‑health clinicians) that are necessary to deliver contracted outcomes.

Contingency guidance Because final HUD/CDBG allocations were not yet confirmed, the committee adopted contingency directions for staff: if the final federal allocation differs from staff’s current estimates staff should apply proportional increases or decreases across funded public‑service awards. The committee specifically excluded the Housing Rights Center from proportional adjustments because the center also receives an equivalent contribution from the city’s Housing Division; in addition, the committee instructed staff not to reduce any funded award below $10,000 without returning the matter to the committee.

Why this matters These recommendations set the city’s immediate public‑services priorities for the coming year. The funded programs provide food and emergency aid, housing navigation, mental‑health and domestic‑violence counseling, fair‑housing advocacy and youth employment training — services that committee members described as essential given ongoing housing and cost‑of‑living pressures.

Next steps Staff will transmit the committee’s recommendations to City Council and will implement the contingency rules if HUD’s final allocation differs from the current estimate. Staff also will track applicants’ invoices and progress against program outcomes and report back to the committee as required.

Ending note Committee members thanked applicants for their presentations and asked staff to continue clarifying outcomes and residency verification during contract execution. The committee also recorded appreciation for staff assistance preparing the lengthy interview schedule and for the applicants’ work serving Glendale residents.