Mayor Sarno Approves CDBG Grant Funds to Non-Profits for Capital Improvements

Springfield, MA – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has approved the RFP CDBG grant funding request from local non-profits for capital improvements to their facilities.  The City of Springfield’s Office of Community Development will be allocating CDBG grant funds to non-profits for capital improvements to their facilities that house services for low and moderate-income households.  Funds are to be used for rehabilitation or construction for the purpose of preserving or expanding their service capacity.

The Office of Community Development announced federal CDBG RFP notices in October 2021 with RFP applications due November 29, 2021.  The City received responses from 17 non-profit agencies.  The City is making available $250,000 from its annual entitlement and a maximum of $25,000 is awarded per organization for successful proposals.

The proposals were reviewed in accordance with the evaluation criteria published within the RFP, which included: Organizational Experience and Performance, Project Need and Importance, Project Feasibility and Financial Feasibility.

Those non-profits receiving CDBG grant funding are:

Non-Profit Agency	Amount Requested	Amount Awarded	Project
Springfield Boys and Girls Club	$6,400	$6,400	New art room sink
Greater New Life Christian Center	$24,950	$24,950	Replace brick pillars and stairs – safety issue
Children’s Study Home	$25,000	$20,000	Demo and replace fencing
Open Pantry Community Services	$20,486	$10,243	Repave parking lot
Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services	$25,000	$24,005	Elevator upgrades
Morris Professional Childcare Services	$25,000	$12,500	Pave parking lot
Michael J. Dias Foundation	$13,600	$13,600	Roof updates
Italian Cultural Center	$24,700	$24,700	New HVAC
YWCA	$25,000	$12,500	Ramp upgrade
Christina’s House	$25,000	$25,000	New heating and cooling system
Mental Health Association	$25,000	$25,000	New siding
Gray House	$23,126	$23,126	Windows
Springfield Partners for Community Action	$25,000	$24,940	Windows and Emergency doors

Mayor Sarno states, “I want to thank the Community Development RFP review committee for their efforts in this selection process.  This much-needed and vital CDBG funding for our non-profits will go a long way to assisting with their efforts of improving their physical structure and facility.  My administration is committed to working with our local non-profits to help address their facility needs while not taking away from their frontline and community services that are so desperately needed.  This initiative will allow the awardees to not have to burden their budgets and their bottom lines by making potential cuts to their core and key community services to make much-needed facility improvements.”

The RFP review committee consisted of:

·         Ed Whitley, Deputy Director of Neighborhoods

·         Cathy Buono, Director of A&F, Community Development

·         Lori Santaniello, Senior Program Director, Community Development

·         Attorney Talia Gee, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

·         Marcos Gonzalez, Project Manager, Economic Development