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Along with several other jurisdictions across the state, the city of Mountain View has joined a lawsuit against the federal government that is challenging new conditions imposed on recipients of federal grants.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development added regulations to certain grant programs last September, restricting money from being used to “promote gender ideology, elective abortions or illegal immigration,” Mountain View Housing Officer Alec Vybiral said during a March 5 Human Relations Committee meeting.
“The absence of clarity regarding federal agencies’ interpretation and implementation of the conditions has created a high degree of uncertainty for funding recipients, including the city staff,” Vybiral said.
The requirements would apply to jurisdictions that are awarded funding through the Community Development Block Grant program, as well as the organizations they pass related money along to. CDBG funding is meant to financially support projects and organizations that serve low-income individuals, and Mountain View typically receives about $600,000 from the federal program each year, according to a city webpage.
The city allocates some of this money to local non-profits that offer public services, such as homelessness prevention programs, legal assistance for seniors and aid for domestic violence survivors. Grant money is also put toward major projects and economic development initiatives, as well as program administration costs.
Several local organizations have expressed an unwillingness to accept any funding that would require them to comply with the newly imposed restrictions, Vybiral said. The Community Services Agency – which provides support services for low-income local residents – publicly announced last month that it would forgo all funding that would cause it to violate its values.
“Our values include serving anyone in need in our community, no matter their situation or circumstances,” CSA Executive Director Tom Myers said in an interview this week. “Our values are to stand up for everybody in our community.”
In response to the new requirements from the federal government, the city is planning to fund organizations like CSA using unspent grant money from prior years and revenue generated from CDBG-funded activities, such as housing projects, as well as money from the city’s General Housing Fund. These sources of money won’t be subject to the newly established restrictions, Vybiral said during Thursday’s meeting.
Mountain View has enough money on hand to support local CDBG recipient organizations for another year without having to utilize funds that might have strings attached, Vybiral said. However, depending on how the litigation plays out, the city may need to reassess its options in a year.
“When we’re back here at this time next year, it’s going to be a whole new ball game,” Vybiral said. “If things continue to change and evolve, the situation could be drastically different than tonight.”
Though CSA has been receiving money through the CDBG program from Mountain View for decades, Myers said that the organization was prepared to decline the money because of the federal government’s added regulations. However, as a result of the city’s recent actions, Myers said that CSA is pleased to receive CDBG funding this year without having to sign off on any of the new requirements.
“I’m very proud of the city of Mountain View for saying that they will not force us to do anything against our values,” Myers said.
City staff are recommending allocating about $64,000 to CSA, which would match the amount the nonprofit received in the current fiscal year. Other local organizations slated to continue receiving funding include the Day Worker Center of Mountain View, LifeMoves and Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
The City Council is expected to make final funding decisions at an April 28 meeting.
