Open Pantry, food banks and community groups warn CDBG changes will squeeze local hunger relief

Leaders from Lowell food pantries and regional food banks told the nonprofit subcommittee that recent changes to entitlement-fund administration — larger, consolidated awards and new compliance requirements — have limited small pantries’ ability to apply for CDBG money and threatened operations.

"We are no longer able to apply for the CDBG grant," Rebecca Wisniewski, board chair at the Open Pantry of Greater Lowell, said. She described a pantry that distributes roughly 6,000 pounds of food weekly with two part‑time paid staff, rising client demand and multiple grant reductions. "Pantries have had money just ripped away from them," she said, and asked the council to seek state help to support pantries.

Councilors and staff explained that the city consolidated many smaller grants into larger collaborative awards to reduce administrative burden, which created higher minimum award sizes that smaller pantries cannot carry up-front because many state and federal grants are reimbursable. "If you don't have $50,000 in your coffers, then you can't apply for CDBG unless you have a fiscal agent," said Debbie Callery, executive director of the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, describing why smaller organizations rely on fiscal agents or partnerships.

Speakers contrasted sourcing limits: the Merrimack Valley Food Bank generally provides smaller weekly allotments (about 2,000 pounds per week), while the Greater Boston Food Bank can supply larger volumes (closer to 6,000 pounds). That procurement difference helps explain why some pantries seek food from Boston-area partners and why competition for different supply streams can complicate CDBG‑funded food programs.

Dan Rivera of the Coalition for the Better Acre praised DPD staff for outreach but said policing of language and immigration-status requirements will make serving highly diverse neighborhoods more difficult. Katherine Carr, appearing by Zoom, and other pantry representatives asked the council to consider funding models — including providing space for pantries or returning to smaller, distributed awards — to keep local hunger-relief operations viable.

DPD said it will provide technical assistance and pre-submission reviews before the Jan. 30 application deadline to help nonprofits shape compliant applications. Councilors urged staff to be proactive in outreach because reimbursement rules and census-tract eligibility limit which programs can accept CDBG funds.

No formal funding decisions were made at the meeting; staff will return award recommendations after the RFP process and HUD approvals.