FLAGSTAFF — The Flagstaff City Council will discuss the allocation of Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds provided by the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act and substantial amendments to the 2019/2020 CDBG Annual Action Plan at their meeting on May 12, 2020 (live streamed here). CDBG-CV funds were allocated to the City of Flagstaff by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) specifically to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
Staff recommended allocation of these funds to the following community partners:
| Public Service Activity | Proposal/Project | Request |
| Flagstaff Shelter Services | COVID-19 Infectious Disease Response | $280,000 |
| Catholic Charities | Homeless Services | $80,000 |
| Coconino County Health and Human Services | Eviction Prevention and Housing Stabilization | $175,000 |
On May 7, Flagstaff Shelter Services and their community partners decided to shift current shelter clients to local hotels for the immediate future. The Shelter’s Huntington location is still operational but not housing overnight clients.
“Flagstaff Shelter Services believes that housing is healthcare and that is more evident now than ever,” said Director Ross Altenbaugh. “We are appreciative of the support of our community partners; however, the scale of this crisis is massive, and we have much work ahead of us to maintain this level of operations.”
The CDBG-CV funding is only a portion of the $1,021,073 in CDBG funding to be awarded by City Council during the May 19, 2020 meeting. Additionally, City Council reallocated $59,600 in CDBG funding from a previous award to Flagstaff Shelter Services in late April to help address the issue of homelessness in our community directly related to COVID-19.
“The Flagstaff City Council has been and remains committed to those experiencing homelessness. Since the beginning of the COIVD-91 crisis, we have continuously identified funds and directed them to services for those experiencing homelessness and toward eviction prevention and housing stabilization in our community,” said Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans. “We will continue to work with our community partners and Flagstaff Shelter Services to support our most vulnerable community members.”