Housing Department
DATE: April 17, 2024
TO: Council Neighborhoods Committee
FROM: Anna Reynoso, Housing Specialist II
Julie Barnard, Affordable Housing Manager
Wayne Chen, Housing Director
SUBJECT: Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant Program Funding Recommendations
RECOMMENDATION
Approve $40,000 in Neighborhood Grant funding as shown in Table 2 for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
BACKGROUND
The Neighborhood Grant Program was established to maintain and improve neighborhoods by suppor�ng ac�vi�es that bring neighbors together and encourage par�cipa�on. The grants provide financial support to encourage groups to form new neighborhood associa�ons and to support exis�ng associa�ons with funding for neighborhood events. This memorandum provides background and analysis of the applica�ons received for the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant cycle and for the Council Neighborhoods Commitee (CNC) to consider staff’s funding recommenda�ons.
For Fiscal Yea r 2024- 25, $40,000 is budgeted for the Neighborhood Grant Program.
Neighborhood grants may be awarded up to the maximum outlined in Table 1 based on the number of households covered by the neighborhood group. Groups applying for a Neighborhood Grant for the first time are eligible for a $100 bonus. All grant funds must be used between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. There is no carryover of funds not used within this time frame.
Table 1: Maximum Grant Awards by Tier
Maximum Award
Tier A: <500 Households $1,333
Tier B: 501-1,000 Households $2,000
Tier C: 1,001-1,500 Households $2,667
Tier D: > 1,501 Households $3,333
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant Program Funding Recommendations April 17, 2024
Neighborhood Grant Application Process
The grant applica�on period began March 1, 2024 and concluded March 31, 2024. The applica�on and program guidelines were posted on the City’s website at htps://www.mountainview.gov/our-city/departments/housing/programs-and- resources/neighborhood-programs/neighborhood-grant-program. S ee Atachment 1 for the applica�on and guidelines.
To facilitate access to the Neighborhood Grant Program, the following steps were taken:
• No�ces about the program and grant funding availability were placed on the City’s website, in the Mountain View Voice online, emailed to the CNC interest list, and adver�sed via the City’s social media outlets.
• On March 13, 2024 and March 21, 2024, staff held grant applica�on webinar calls via Zoom to guide poten�al applicants through the process demonstra�ng how to submit an applica�on. Throughout the applica�on period, staff was available to answer ques�ons.
• T he applica�on, program guidelines, and grant reimbursement forms were translated into Spanish and Chinese . Addi�onally, both webinars included Spanish and Mandarin interpreta�on services.
ANALYSIS
The City received 29 grant applications requesting a total of $5 9,962. Applicants included the following:
• Twenty-one (21) applicants are past recipients and/or exis�ng neighborhood groups.
• Seven (7) applicants are first-�me applicants and/or new neighborhood groups.
• One applicant was the Bonita Villa Homeowners Associa�on (HOA) . Per the program guidelines, HOAs are not eligible to receive funds; therefore, their applica�on is ineligible.
As a result, there is a total of 28 eligible grant applications for a total of $ 58,462. The complete grant applications from these groups are attached for the CNC’s review (Attachment 2).
The following is a summary of the proposed activities:
• Variety of proposed events such as block par�es, Halloween celebra�ons, story hours, ice cream socials, and holiday events.
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant Program Funding Recommendations April 17, 2024
• Fund ways to share informa�on and promote par�cipa�on, such as crea�ng newsleters and neighborhood websites, purchasing A -frames, producing flyers, and paying for Zoom subscrip�ons.
• Create programs for leadership and volunteer opportuni�es, including for youth to help design websites, support events, and help with transla�on services.
Staff has determined that all proposed ac�vi�es meet the grant eligibility requirements.
Funding Recommendations
The total funding request exceeds the $40,000 available. The recommended grant amounts have been prorated to ensure the total grant amount is withi n the $40,000 budget. Table 2 summarizes the funding requests and staff recommendations.
Table 2: Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant Requests and Funding Recommendations*
NEIGHBORHOOD
GROUP
TIER AND
MAXIMUM
ELIGIBILITY
AMOUNT
REQUESTED
NEW GROUP
BONUS
REQUEST +
NEW GROUP
BONUS
RECOMMENDED
AWARD
1 Loreto Street
Neighborhood
Groups
Tier A, $1,333 $ 1,300 $ 100 $ 1,400 $ 950
2 Sahara Mobile
Village
Neighborhood
Association
Tier A, $1,333 1,300 100
1,400 $950
3 VAB—Vincent
and Beyond
Neighborhood
Association
Tier A, $1,333 1,333 100
1,433 $972
4 Eagle Park Youth
Ultimate Frisbee
Group
Tier B, $2,000 1,800
100 1,900 $1,289
5 Grupo de
Embajadores de
Mountain View
Tier B, $2,000 2,200 100
2,100
$1,425
6 Arts Mountain
View
Tier D, $3,333 3,333 100
3,433 $2,329
7 CalTega Tier D, $3,333 3,333
100 3,433 $2,329
8 Blossom Valley Tier A, $1,333 1,333
-0-
1,333
$904
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant Program Funding Recommendations April 17, 2024
NEIGHBORHOOD
GROUP
TIER AND
MAXIMUM
ELIGIBILITY
AMOUNT
REQUESTED
NEW GROUP
BONUS
REQUEST +
NEW GROUP
BONUS
RECOMMENDED
AWARD
9 Dutch Haven
Neighborhood
Association
Tier A, $1,333 1,333
-0-
1,333
$904
10 Hedgerow Group Tier A, $1,333 1,333 -0- 1,333 $904 11 Martens
Carmelita
Neighborhood
Tier A, $1,333 1,333 -0- 1,333 $904
12 Moorpark
Mobile Home
Parks
Tier A, $1,333 1,333 -0-
1,333
$904
13 Santiago Villa
Neighborhood
Association
Tier A, $1,333 1,333 -0- 1,333 $904
14 Springer
Meadows
Neighborhood
Association
Tier A, $1,333 1,333 -0- 1,333 $904
15 Springer Tree
Neighborhood
Association
Tier A, $1,333 1,333 -0- 1,333 $904
16 Sunset Estates
Mobilehome
Owners
Association
Tier A, $1,333 1,333 -0- 1,333 $904
17 Cooper Park
Neighborhood
Association
Tier B, $2,000 2,00-0- -0- 2,000 $1,357
18 Gemello Tier B, $2,000 2,000 -0- 2,000 $1,357
19 North Whisman
Neighborhood
Association
Tier B, $2,000 2,000 -0- 2,000 $1,357
20 Rex Manor
Neighborhood
Association
Tier B, $2,000 2,000 -0- 2,000 $1,357
21 Varsity Park
Neighborhood
Association
Tier B, $2,000 2,000 -0- 2,000 $1,357
22 Monta Loma
Neighborhood
Association
Tier C, $2,667 2,667 -0- 2,667 $1,809
23 Wagon Wheel
Neighborhood
Association
Tier C, $2,667 2,667 -0- 2,667 $1,809
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant Program Funding Recommendations April 17, 2024
NEIGHBORHOOD
GROUP
TIER AND
MAXIMUM
ELIGIBILITY
AMOUNT
REQUESTED
NEW GROUP
BONUS
REQUEST +
NEW GROUP
BONUS
RECOMMENDED
AWARD
24 Slater
Neighborhood
Association
Tier D, $3,333 3,200 -0- 3,200 $2,171
25 Community
Action Team
Tier D, $3,333 3,333 -0- 3,333 $2,261
26 Cuesta Park
Neighborhood
Association
Tier D, $3,333 3,333 -0- 3,333 $2,261
27 Old Mountain
View
Neighborhood
Association
Tier D, $3,333 3,333 -0- 3,333 $2,261
28 Shoreline West
Association of
Neighbors
Tier D, $3,333 3,333 -0- 3,333 $2,261
TOTALS $58,462 $700 $40,000
_______________________________
* Does not include Bonita Villa HOA as HOAs are not eligible to receive funds.
NOTE: Any funding requests that exceeded the Tier maximum eligibility amount have been adjusted.
NEXT STEPS
Upon approval by the CNC, all grant recipients will enter into an agreement with the City to spend funds as described in their applications. Funding will be available beginning July 1, 2024. All funds must be spent during Fiscal Year 2024 -25. Recipients must submit reimbursement forms and receipts for grant activities by June 30, 2025. The reimbursement process helps ensure that grants are only used for eligible expenditures and not for personal benefit.
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant Program Funding Recommendations April 17, 2024
ALTERNATIVES
1. Provide other funding recommenda�ons.
2. I ncrease the CNC budget to $60,000 in order to fully fund all groups.
3. Provide other direc�on.
AR-JB-WC/4/HSN
844-04-17-24M-1
Attachments: 1. Fiscal Year 2024-25 Neighborhood Grant Guidelines
2. Fiscal Year 2024-25 Grant Applications