BATON ROUGE, LA — September 4, 2019 — Today, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced 33 grant awards to 23 local non-profits, supportive service organizations, and community developers from the City-Parish’s federal Community Planning and Development dollars.

Approximately $7.2 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
• Humanities Amped
• St. Vincent de Paul
• The Walls Project
• Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation
• NOVAC
• Turning Point
• Premier Services
• The CEO Mind Foundation
• The Bridge Agency
• Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless
• Habitat for Humanity

Emergency Solutions Grant

A total of $266,896 that provides for homelessness prevention and shelter needs.

• Capital Area Alliance for Homeless
• Catholic Charities
• St. Vincent de Paul
• Preserving Life Ministries

HOME Investment Partnerships Program

A total of $1.3 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
• We Greaux People
• Scotlandville CDC
• Habitat for Humanity

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 and Services
• Metro Health
• START Corporation
• Our Lady of the Lake
• HAART

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.

“Our community is more resilient and the quality of life for our citizens is greatly improved thanks to the work of these tremendous organizations,” said Mayor-President Broome. “I’m proud to partner with these mission-driven organizations as their work through this critical funding is taking Baton Rouge in a positive direction.”

The City-Parish uses a competitive application process to award the grants. A committee of volunteers and subject matter experts 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 co-ad the Community Planning and Development dollars with community development organizations like Build Baton Rouge – The Redevelopment Authority of East Baton Rouge Parish, the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority, and the East Baton Rouge Division of Human Development and Services.