BATON ROUGE, LA — January 29, 2019 — Today, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced 19 grant awards to 15 local non-profits, supportive service organizations, and community developers from the City-Parish’s federal Community Planning and Development dollars.

Approximately $7.3 million was made available through four funding allocations to organizations that help low- and moderate-income residents with shelter, basic needs, housing rehabilitation, employment skills, and other supportive services.

This year, the following community organizations are receiving grants:

Community Development Block Grant

A total of $3.1 million that provides for community development resources for a wide variety of community needs.

• Interfaith Federation of Greater Baton Rouge, Inc.
• Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
• Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance
• SBP Rebuild Baton Rouge
• St. Vincent de Paul
• The Walls Project
• Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation

Emergency Solutions Grant

A total of $256,333 that provides for homelessness prevention and shelter needs.

• Capital Area Alliance for Homeless
• Catholic Charities
• St. Vincent de Paul
• Volunteers of America, Greater Baton Rouge, Inc.

HOME Investment Partnerships Program

A total of $1.4 million that provides grants for local housing strategies designed to increase homeownership and affordable housing opportunities for low- and very low-income citizens.

• Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation
• Plan B, LLC
• Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance
• LaFleur Industries, LLC

Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Grant

A total of $2.5 million that provides local communities and non-profit organizations for projects that benefit low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

• East Baton Rouge Division of Human Development Services
• Metro Health
• START Corporation
• Volunteers of America of Greater Baton Rouge

The City-Parish receives these federal dollars annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund activities that primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents.

“I am proud to partner with so many tremendous organizations in our community, whose missions are dedicated to tackling our community’s greatest challenges and working to better the lives of so many citizens of Baton Rouge,” said Mayor Broome. “This critical funding provides opportunities for citizens to succeed, which can only help our entire community be more resilient and advance in a positive direction.”

The City-Parish uses a competitive application process to award the grants. A committee of volunteers and independent contractors helps score the applications and makes recommendations on funding. Criteria are based on goals and priorities for the use of federal funds that are developed in part with input from local residents and federal grant requirements.

In 2017, Mayor-President Broome reorganized the City-Parish Office of Community Development, the agency administering the federal grant funds. Now, the City-Parish partners with community development organizations like the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority, the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority, and the East Baton Rouge Division of Human Development Services for the administration of the community planning and development dollars.