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Arapahoe County backs DOJ grant reapplication for crisis response and outlines CDBG/HOME funding recommendations
Summary
County staff requested permission to reapply for a Department of Justice grant to fund CIT and corresponder programs (including $145,000 of virtual‑reality training) and presented 2026 CDBG and HOME funding recommendations that would direct money to Starlight (affordable housing), Nourish Meals on Wheels, IFCS food bank, Project Angel Heart and hotel vouchers for severe‑weather sheltering.
Arapahoe County commissioners on the study session authorized staff to move forward with a Department of Justice grant reapplication to support the county's Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and corresponder programs and reviewed staff recommendations for the county's 2026 CDBG and HOME annual action plan.
Captain Heaton (presenter) said the Department of Justice opportunity would extend existing support for CIT and corresponder activities and expand training with virtual reality simulations. He outlined cost estimates for three years: roughly $145,000 for a vendor to provide virtual‑reality training, about $121,000 to support the ongoing 40‑hour CIT basic training (four classes per year, overtime and actors), and an estimated $58,000 for conference attendance, for a combined approximate total of $324,000 if the county is allowed to reapply. "This grant would benefit us right approximately $324,000 if we're allowed to reapply for it," Captain Heaton said. Commissioners gave an informal thumbs‑up during the session and staff said the application would proceed.
On housing and community development funding, Director Smith and Nancy Sonnenfeld presented recommendations for the county's CDBG and HOME allocations. Highlights included a CHDO 15% set‑aside for Grovewood Community Development's Stable Space 2 (an older‑adult multifamily project), recommended funding for the South Metro housing 'Starlight' project through a combined Littleton/Centennial/all‑county allocation, and public‑service recommendations that include Nourish Meals on Wheels and IFCS food bank. Staff also proposed $40,000 for hotel vouchers for severe‑weather sheltering and funding for Project Angel Heart's home‑delivered meals program.
Jeremy Dink and staff explained some applications were not recommended this cycle — Habitat for Humanity's single‑family rehab work was flagged for future years because of staffing and environmental review (radon mitigation) concerns that complicate HUD project timelines. "We have some concerns about the impact of [environmental] requirements and their ability to do that prior to traditional rehab activities," Jeremy Dink said.
Board response: commissioners thanked staff for the analysis, raised questions about eligibility and program criteria, and signaled support for moving the grant application and the CDBG/HOME recommendations to the business meeting consent agenda for formal approval.
Next steps: staff will submit the DOJ reapplication materials as appropriate and take the annual action plan/CDBG and HOME funding recommendations to the formal consent agenda at the next business meeting; specific project funding decisions will return to the board for final approval as staff completes environmental reviews and scoring.
