Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cdbg topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Murrieta Council adopts $596,700 CDBG plan after nonprofits urge full funding
Summary
The Murrieta City Council unanimously adopted staff recommendations to allocate an estimated $596,700 in FY26–27 Community Development Block Grant funds, directing most dollars to pedestrian-safety ADA projects and awards to local nonprofits after hours of public testimony from service providers.
Murrieta — The City Council on Dec. 2 adopted staff recommendations to allocate an estimated $596,700 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for fiscal year 2026–27, after hearing from several local nonprofits about the need for services.
City staff told the council the city expects $596,700 in CDBG funds, with 20% reserved for administrative oversight, 15% for public-service projects and the remainder for local projects; staff recommended using much of the remaining balance for pedestrian-safety and ADA curb-ramp work. “We are estimating that we’re going to receive $596,700 in CDBG funding,” staff said during the presentation.
Why it matters: CDBG money supports food pantries, domestic-violence services and youth-development programs that serve low-income Murrieta residents. Council’s adoption lets the city finalize allocations and obligate federal funds for the coming year.
Public testimony shaped the discussion. Sharon Morris of Voices for Children, the court-appointed special advocate (CASA) program, said the group has served 24 Murrieta children this year and asked the council to approve its full request. “The CDBG funding that you provide allows us to continue this invaluable work for the city’s children,” she said.
Heather Stanford, CEO of Mission Hope, said the organization operates local housing and food programs and asked council to fund its Hope Family Housing program for four income-qualified houses in Murrieta. “This year we requested it specifically to go to our Hope Family Housing program because we have four houses that are located in Murrieta that service five families right now,” Stanford said.
Other speakers, including the executive director of the Safe Family Justice Center and representatives from Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley and Western Eagle Foundation, described shelter, domestic-violence and food-distribution needs. Staff said nonprofits were scored by city consultants and Riverside County; the county’s inclusion reduced some scores because reviewers placed greater weight on organizational capacity and stability.
Council action: Mayor Cindy Warren moved to accept the staff recommendation and a second followed; the motion carried unanimously, 5–0. The adopted allocations reflect staff’s scoring and the county’s participation in the selection process; staff noted all eight applicants exceeded the city’s minimum scoring threshold.
What’s next: With the allocation adopted, staff will finalize agreements with nonprofit grantees and schedule the pedestrian-safety ADA projects for implementation. The council directed staff to proceed with the recommended awards and to continue providing public information about funded programs.
