Sunnyvale commissioners hear presentations from 12 nonprofits seeking CDBG and human‑services funding

Sunnyvale’s Housing and Human Services Commission heard three‑minute presentations from 12 nonprofit applicants on Feb. 25 as part of the city’s annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), CDBG‑CV and human‑services funding process. Staff made no awards at the meeting; commissioners will review staff funding recommendations in March and the city’s draft action plan in April before any allocations go to City Council.

The presentations outlined proposed services for Sunnyvale residents across multiple needs, including senior meals and homebound delivery, domestic‑violence crisis response, legal aid for older adults, food distribution, counseling for youth and families, fair‑housing investigations, assistance for foster youth, employment pathways for people experiencing homelessness, and support for in‑home childcare providers.

The presentations emphasized local impact and contained specific funding requests. Anne Marie Hong, representing AbilityPath, summarized services for people with developmental disabilities and said, “Ability Path has been a cornerstone of the community for over 100 years.” AbilityPath reported providing about 11,000 hours of adult‑services support to 26 Sunnyvale residents in fiscal year 2024 and serving 29 residents so far in fiscal 2025. Catholic Charities’ long‑term care ombudsman program described plans to scale services to 145 unduplicated residents and to investigate roughly 20 complaints; the speaker noted the program is authorized under the federal and state Older Americans Act. Loaves & Fishes asked the commission for $40,000 to support Meals on Wheels services for 20 Sunnyvale seniors, proposing 5,000 meals and 700 wellness checks across 30 weeks.

Other requests and proposals presented (as stated by applicants): - Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence (presented by Jonathan Darr) requested $40,000 to continue countywide crisis and shelter services and said its San Jose‑based program serves Sunnyvale residents via hotline, shelter and outreach. The presenter said, “No one is turned away.” - Senior Adults Legal Assistance (SALA), represented by Georgia Basile, asked to increase its request to $34,000 to serve 60 Sunnyvale elders with free legal services covering public benefits, eviction prevention, reasonable‑accommodation requests and elder‑abuse cases. - Bill Wilson Center (Pilar Furlong) requested $35,000 to provide counseling to 35 Sunnyvale residents through about 253 counseling sessions and described ongoing family‑shelter and youth supports in the region. - Child Advocates of Silicon Valley (Lorenzo Marcancini) requested $45,000 to recruit, train and support CASA volunteers for roughly 13 additional foster youth. - Project Sentinel (Carol Khan) requested $26,415 to assist 25 Sunnyvale residents with fair‑housing services, including investigations and outreach events; the presenter said the organization averages hundreds of housing discrimination investigations per year and refers meritorious cases to HUD or the California Civil Rights Department. - Sunnyvale Community Services (Marie Bernard) requested $45,000 per year from CDBG for food programming and a one‑time CDBG‑CV request of $150,000 to bridge emergency food needs. Bernard said the agency served about 9,657 unduplicated Sunnyvale clients through food programs last year and described recent reductions in donated protein and rising demand. - Sunnyvale United Methodist Church (Ron Nathan) asked for $40,000 to support its senior meal program, serving roughly 60–210 attendees depending on the day. - Downtown Streets Team (Erica Laguna) described workforce readiness and beautification work and said the local program aims to place team members in employment and to expand workshops; the presenter noted a current retention metric of about 70% and that the program is county‑level in structure. - Upwards (Melanie Fore) proposed a Boost microenterprise technical‑assistance program for in‑home childcare providers and described a per‑provider cost of about $8,000; the presenter said the requested total for 33 providers would be approximately $264,000 (8,000 per provider) and that the program is not a public‑service applicant but an economic‑development/microenterprise program.

Commissioners and staff asked applicants clarifying questions about service locations, counts of Sunnyvale residents served, program delivery models, staffing and past performance. Several presenters noted they serve countywide populations from offices outside Sunnyvale and use telehealth, hotel placements and countywide shelters where appropriate. Staff repeatedly reminded commissioners the meeting was for introductions and that recommendations will be returned for the commission’s review.

The commission took one formal vote during the meeting: approval of the consent calendar (which included last month’s minutes). Vice Chair Sherry Weiss moved the consent calendar; Commissioner Stewart seconded. The roll call produced four yes votes, one abstention and two absences. The vote record announced: Commissioner Friedlander — yes; Commissioner Davis — abstain; Chair Duncan — yes; Vice Chair Weiss — yes; Commissioner Stewart — yes. The motion passed with four yes votes, Commissioner Davis abstaining; Commissioners Hyramath and Rivera were absent.

Staff updates at the end of the meeting noted two policy‑level items: (1) City Council directed staff to return an updated tenant‑protections ordinance that would increase relocation assistance to three months; staff said outreach to landlords and tenants will follow and the revision could return to the commission in April or May. (2) Staff reported uncertainty about potential federal HUD program and staffing cuts; staff said they will proceed with the current funding calendar but monitor federal developments and report back as information becomes available.

Staff also announced an abatement of a homeless encampment near the Sunnyvale library that was scheduled for the following morning; staff said outreach providers (WeHOPE) had been working to offer shelter, hotel stays and other options and that the city’s contractor would perform the cleanup. Commissioners asked about availability of shelter beds, observers on abatements and the city’s safe‑parking work; staff said safe‑parking options and potential city or private sites are under review and a seed capital grant for private hosts was included in budget planning.

What happens next: staff will deliver funding recommendations to the commission at the March meeting; commissioners will review and may modify those recommendations before the city finalizes an action plan for City Council consideration in April and May. No grant awards were made at the Feb. 25 meeting.