City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: APRIL 14, 2026 FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: CALENDAR YEAR 2025 CITYWIDE GRANT ACTIVITIES
ISSUE:
Receive and file the Annual Report for Calendar Year 2025 Citywide Grant Activities.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council receive and file the Annual Report for Calendar Year 2025 Citywide Grant Activities.
BACKGROUND:
Even in challenging times, the City maintains a strong and highly capable grant-writing operation, submitting specialized applications across departments ranging from modest awards to multimillion-dollar opportunities. The year 2025 has presented unprecedented challenges in grantsmanship, with significant headwinds impacting the City’s pursuit of external funding. Despite these obstacles, the City remains steadfast in its efforts to secure new funding sources. Its objectives continue to be clear: to obtain financial support for services and projects that would otherwise rely on local tax dollars, and to enhance the quality and availability of programs and initiatives for the residents of Riverside.
At the federal level, significant efforts to reduce expenditures and restructure the administrative landscape have affected programs that have historically supported key City priorities, including infrastructure and sustainability. Recent major federal investments, such as those authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, have concluded, while longstanding grant and entitlement programs are experiencing reduced funding levels or temporary suspensions, at times due to government shutdowns. Ongoing uncertainty in the federal budget environment has also disrupted earmarks and other non-competitive funding sources.
At the state level, while California’s budget outlook shows modest improvement compared to the prior year, few new large-scale initiatives are anticipated, and the potential for departmental funding reductions remains. Additionally, there may be increased pressure to redirect established funding sources, such as the California Cap-and-Trade Program, toward wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles, which could result in certain recurring programs being paused. The extent of the State’s response to potential reductions in foundational federal programs remains uncertain. In all scenarios, City staff will continue to adapt and intensify efforts to secure external funding.
DISCUSSION:
The annual 2025 Citywide Grants Report is the City’s fourth annual report containing an inventory and analysis of all grant activity from the previous fiscal year. The report serves to provide a comprehensive overview of all citywide grant activity, with the goal of documenting the progress that the City of Riverside has made to improve its internal grant operations and overall performance. The annual Citywide Grants Report tracks grant funding pursued by, and awarded to, the City in each calendar year.
The annual 2025 report illustrates a retrenchment in both the number and value of the City’s submitted grant applications and awards responding to an overall dip in funding activity due to the substantial decrease in federal funding and a moderate decrease in State funding. It is important to note that many awards contained in this report were applied for in or before FY 2025, and we include multi-year grant disbursements that are near the beginning of their grant terms grant terms (grants with “soft award” announcements but not yet under contract). Grants that are largely expended or are in a closeout status in 2025 were excluded from this analysis.
Even with disruptions, the City of Riverside had a solid year, receiving over $40 Million in competitive grants and earmarks. This report details all grant funds received for the year and offers comparison and other analysis to make sense of the money received and community impacts. 2025 Grants Overview:
In CY 2025 the City received approximately $40,307,859 in new grant funds from various funding types including competitive, entitlements, and appropriation/earmark sources. These individual grants are broken down below and compared to last year’s productivity.
Table 1. – Year Over Year Comparison of Grant Activity
Prior Year (2024) Grant Activity
Current Year (2025) Grant Activity
Year-Over-Year Difference
Competitive Funded Applications
$39,507,854
$30,169,906
-$10,837,948
State/Federal Earmarks
$3,664,250
$1,250,000*
-$2,414,250
Entitlements
$8,630,149
$8,887,953
$257,804
TOTALS:
$51,802,253
$40,307,859
-$12,994,394
In terms of competitive grants (competitive applications and competitive earmarks), the City has a very strong year, with 44 awarded grant applications. Owing to reductions chiefly on the federal side, this activity represents an approximately $13 million decrease from the last calendar year. A list of grants awarded for CY 2025 is included in this staff report as Attachment A.
The funding received by the City is comprised of approximately 30% from State sources, 36% from federal agencies, and 30% from the County and 4% from private organizations. Also, the City received an approximately 80/20 split between competitive funding applications and non-competitive, or formula-based, allocations.
In terms of comparisons to the City’s General Fund, the adopted FY 2025/26 budget for the General Fund totaled $371.8 million then competitive grant work alone (competitive and earmark) would be 8% of the General Fund, and all grant work (competitive, earmark, and entitlement) would be 10% of the General Fund total. Grant writing makes a substantial additional impact on the funded operations of municipal programs and projects, allowing the City to expand existing services and programs as well as onboarding new initiatives that may have otherwise been financially out of reach.
Grant funded programs have real impacts for city residents. Highlights are included in the chart below.
Table 2. - Impact of Grant funds on Riverside Residents Public Works and Transportation
Public Safety
Kicked off the development of the Citywide urban forestry canopy map.
Conducted grant-funded mobility assessments for over 50,000 elementary and middle schools in the City.
Continued the rehabilitation of Digester 5 at the Water Quality Control Plan so that it can receive and process food waste, benefitting over 300,000 residents.
Funded 3 new Fire Department HazMat team members to complete three weeks of Hazardous Materials Technician and Specialist training.
The Riverside Urban Area Security Initiative Program held 50 classes, with 1,165 students trained across various public safety disciplines and critical infrastructure operators.
Purchased 321 Emergency Response Team (CERT) backpacks for distribution to community members that take a city or regional partner community class. 576 overtime hours worked by officers, conducting education, prevention, and enforcement of laws related to driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. 14 child safety car seats were distributed at no cost to community members in need.
Housing and Homelessness
Libraries, Parks, and Youth
Housed 78 formally homeless individuals coupled with case management.
Completed 32 affordable units under construction and put another 234 affordable housing units into the pipeline for development.
Assisted 195 low-income renters with emergency assistance.
Opened a homeless service clinic with UCR Medical School that has served 2,000 patients.
Assisted 946 homeless individuals with shelter and case management.
Engaged 812 homeless individuals through Street Outreach.
Purchased 795 books for 369 community members that placed requests, which became part of the library collection. 1,662 people attended the lunch at the library performances. 5,198 children and teens participated in the crafts and activities at the lunch programs and received free books.
Over 3,240 residents participated in the Walk with Ease program.
Special Transit services provided 62,326 rides, including 39,038 people with disabilities and 23,288 seniors over 60.
Over 8,700 residents received scholarships and free swim support through community partnerships, including Learn-to-Swim scholarships, swim passes, junior lifeguarding scholarships, free swim admissions, and Splash Day Camp scholarships.
City Comparisons:
In terms of grant activity per capita, Riverside compares quite favorably to regional cities. The chart below compares Riverside with other regional Southern California cities.
Table 3. – Grant Comparisons with Other California Cities Awarded Competitive Grants 2025:
Population:
Grant Funds Per Capita:
Corona
$498,946
162,596
$3.07
Moreno Valley
$14,671,399
215,000
$68.00
Ontario
$110,500,000
187,822
$588.32
RIVERSIDE
$30,169,906
325,969
$92.55
Departmental Productivity:
Grants received this year were concentrated in eight departments. These departments, through the hard work of talented City staff, was productive in awarded funding applications. Funded applications, by department, are detailed below.
Community and Economic Development - $250,000
City Manager - $637,866
Fire - $5,093,611
Human Resources - $1,500,000
Police - $1,943,989
Parks, Recreation and Community Services - $3,729,346
Public Works - $17,015,091
Appropriations/Earmarks from the State and Federal Budget The City received $1,250,000 in State appropriations that benefit local infrastructure projects. Proposals in this process are submitted by the City through State elected offices and are funded via the State budget process. With earmarks, the City vies with other localities that propose projects. Other supplemental funding that the City received through direct governmental appropriation includes:
Table 4. - State and Federal Appropriations
Projects
Budget Appropriations 2025
Grantor
Value
Northside Agricultural Center - Workforce
State
$250,000
Riverside Real Time Information Center
State
$1,000,000
TOTAL:
$1,250,000
Entitlement Grants:
The City of Riverside is an “Entitlement Grantee” for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocations and for State local housing funds. “Entitlement cities,” for HUD grants are central cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), other metropolitan cities with populations of at least 50,000, and qualified urban counties with populations of at least 200,000 (excluding the population of entitled cities) that are “entitled” to receive annual grants through a formula calculation. HUD determines the amount of each entitlement grant by a statutory dual formula which uses several objective measures of community needs, including the extent of poverty, population, housing overcrowding, age of housing, and population growth lag in relationship to other metropolitan areas.
The State of California’s Permanent Local Housing Allocation Program (PLHA) provides funding to local governments in California for housing-related projects and programs that assist in addressing the unmet housing needs of their local communities. The City did not receive a PLHA allocation in 2025.
Table 5. – Federal and State Entitlement Grants*
Entitlement Grants
Annual Budget Appropriations 2023
Grantor
Value
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
Federal
$2,849,347
HOME Investment Partnerships Act (HOME)
Federal
$987,954
Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
Federal
$244,121
Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA)
Federal
$4,806,531
TOTAL:
$8,887,953
* The City did not receive a State Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) in 2025.
Entitlement grants benefit a number of Riverside partners who in turn provide necessary services for low-to-moderate income City residents. In 2025, the City provided the following grants to provide programs/projects that benefit Riverside residents.
CDBG Capital Improvement Projects
Public Works $200,000.00
ADA Footpath Improvements at various locations.
Public Works $450,000.00
Ward 1- Street Improvements- Tenth St from Sedgwick Ave. to Kansas Ave; Ottawa Ave. from Linden St. to University Ave.
Public Works $308,075.55
Ward 2- Linden St from Chicago Ave to Iowa Ave.
Public Works $432,000.00
Ward 3- Walter St. from Rexford Dr. to Streeter Ave; Sunnyside Dr. from Rexford Dr. to Streeter Ave.
Public Works $462,000.00
Ward 7-Lake St. (Arlington Ave to Via Norte Dr.) and Randolph St. (Via Norte Dr. to Green Ave) and Mallard Dr. (Randolph St. to EOS) CDBG Public Service Projects
Arlington Temporary Assistance $30,000.00 Continuum of Care Program will target homeless, disabled, and impoverished persons residing within the western areas of the City of Riverside and provide temporary assistance in the form of food, clothing, utility assistance, and referrals to medical/dental/mental health services.
Assistance League of Riverside $18,000.00 Snack Attack Program will target low-moderate-income youth identified as homeless and/or highly needy by Riverside Unified School District personnel and provide nutritious food items for their consumption over the weekend. The lunch bag will help 1,000 homeless and severely financially disadvantaged students. The funds will be used to purchase the nutritious snacks included in over 9,000 snack bags anticipated to be packaged and delivered this upcoming school year.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire $15,000.00 Support Services and Mentorship for Riverside Youth will aid 15 households (units of service) that will help families enroll in our program with wraparound support in the form of food assistance, mental health counselling, and other supportive services.
Catholic Charities San Bernardino & Riverside Counties $15,000.00 Outreach Casework Services Program will provide casework services including intake and assessments, emergency assistance, case management, and linkages to other community service providers to residents of the City of Riverside.
Diaper Bank of the Inland Empire $14,755.75
To provide no-cost diapers and wipes to LMI Riverside families.
Fair Housing Council of Riverside $89,646.30 Fair Housing Services Program offers a full array of housing counseling services that affirmatively promote housing rights and obligations. It administers Anti-Discrimination and Landlord/Tenant counseling respectively. FHCRC proposes to serve 6,000 persons with the funding awarded. The components are Education, Training and Technical Assistance, and Enforcement.
Feed My Flock Ministries $24,000.00
This program provides life skills training for individuals transitioning from homelessness as well as advocacy support for seniors and expanded access to essential furniture through a donation program.
Habitat for Humanity $35,000.00
Critical Home Repair program (CHR) is a one-time home preservation service that offers interior and exterior repairs designed to assist LMI homeowners living in a single-family home or mobile home park. Repairs could be a roof, flooring replacement, heating/air unit repair, etc. It typically ranges from $15k-$20k per home.
HHS- Riverside At Work (RAW) $18,000.00 The program is intended to provide on the job training to City residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to assist them with developing job and life skills which will provide stability and reintegration with the community.
Inspire Life Skills Training $16,000.00
Inspiring Hope Program will provide safe and stable housing for former foster and homeless youth in three Riverside locations to serve 11 people.
Janet Goeske Foundation $16,000.00
Comprehensive Senior Programming and Services will provide educational nutrition and fitness programs, interpreter services, and senior advisor services.
Rebirth Homes $12,000.00
Freedom Shop (Social Enterprise) provides a residential program for survivors of human trafficking that includes various types of therapy, daily groups and classes, case management, and employment. The program will employ four low-income homeless human trafficking victims participating in the Victim to Survivor Program with part-time employment at Rebirth Homes.
Riverside Community Services Foundation $19,000.00 The youth and family tuition assistance program provides need-based financial aid to ensure children and families can access community programs such as sports, arts, and educational workshops. By removing financial barriers, this fosters inclusivity and empowers participants to grow, learn and connect in a supportive environment.
Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center dba NORA $19,000.00 The Prevention and Intervention for Trauma Survivors program will provide 24-hour crisis hotline response, hospital advocacy, court accompaniment, in-house clinical counseling, support groups, information, and referrals for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and other forms of trauma.
Riverside Meals on Wheels $15,000.00
The program provides delivery of affordable nutritious, fresh meals 5 days a week to seniors and homebound individuals throughout the city of Riverside.
SAFE Family Justice Centers $9,000.00
SAFE and Healthy Families Program will provide comprehensive direct services to victims of abuse through basic needs, emergency assistance, and safety services.
Smile Unto Him $25,000.00
Smile Unto Him provides 100% free dental treatments to low-income community of Riverside focused on Veterans and seniors to restore oral health which will lead to prevent chronic systemic disease, regain self-confidence, and better quality of life.
Voices for Children $12,000.00
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program will provide foster care children with critical advocacy services to address their education, physical and mental health, housing, and overall wellbeing.
Young Scholars for Academic Empowerment dba TruEvolution $25,000.00 The purpose of our project is to support environment improvements of our housing services, increase safety measures, and maintenance of Truevolution community campus to provide a safe and healthy environment. This project will serve low-and-moderate income residents as well as underserved and homeless communities in our city.
City of Riverside CDBG Administration $427,402.05 The City of Riverside CDBG Administration will provide comprehensive planning and administration activities for the City of Riverside Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, including, but not limited to, Annual Action Plan development, community workshops, substantial amendments, annual monitoring, year-end (CAPER) development/submission, etc.
City staff continues to be committed to continuing strategic work to compete strategically for grants that fund the needs of Riverside’s diverse communities, while also supporting partner agencies on applications with shared regional benefits.
ESG Program - $244,121
Activity
Amount
Housing and Human Services - Rapid Re-Housing Program
$165,812
Foothill AIDS Project
$ 10,000
Operation Safehouse Emergency Shelter
$ 25,000
Operation Safehouse Young Adult Emergency Shelter
$ 25,000
Program Administration
$ 18,309
Total
$244,121
HOPWA Program - $4,806,531
Activity
Amount
Foothill Aids Project: Resource Identification, Housing Information Services, Tenant Based Rental Assistance, Permanent Facility-Based Housing Assistance, Temporary Facility-Based Housing Services, Short-Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility Assistance, Permanent Housing Placement, and Supportive Services $2,000,000
Housing Authority of Riverside County: Tenant Based Rental Assistance, Project Based Rental Assistance, Short Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility Assistance, Supportive Services, Permanent Housing Placement, and Housing Information Services $1,862,336
TruEvolution: Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Short-Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility Assistance, Supportive Services, and Permanent Housing Placement $ 800,000
Program Administration:
$ 144,195
Total
$4,806,531
HOME Program - $987,954.49
Activity
Amount
Affordable Housing Program
(a) Acquisition and rehabilitation of multi-family residential units (b) Infill residential development
$889,159.49
Program Administration
$98,795.00
Total
$987,954.49
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. This is a report that updates Calendar year 2025 grants and revenue enhancement activities. Specific grant applications and/or projects that require funding appropriations will be brought to the City Council separately for consideration.
Prepared by: Jeff McLaughlin, Grants Administrator
Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Interim Finance Director Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager
Approved as to form: Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, Interim City Attorney Exhibit A – Awarded Grants List 2025
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2025 Annual Grant Performance Report ● Page 7