City Nonprofits, Homes, Sidewalks Get $352K

The city of San Clemente will spend $352,000 of federal money in the upcoming fiscal year to do home improvements for impoverished elderly people; fix sidewalks and build new ones; and fund various nonprofits around town.

The San Clemente City Council Tuesday approved a spending plan for the money -- yearly Community Development Block Grant funds doled out to towns from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Sidewalk renovation for this year is estimated to cost around $109,200 out of the allotted funds. This money will aid in the refurbishment of the sidewalks in the downtown area and enhancement of the walks along the street along Calle Puente. Both of these projects were requested by neighborhood residents. 

The City may allocate up to 15 percent ($52,800) of their total funds to aid nonprofit organizations. Almost half of that percentage ($26,000) will go to Family Assistance Ministries to aid in emergency food and homeless prevention. Another organization that will receive funds is Laura’s House, a domestic violence prevention program.

Projects dealing with the Housing and Commercial Rehabilitation Program -- which has beautified and strengthened the local businesses and low income homes of San Clemente since 2004 -- will also receive $95,000 from the grant funds.

Each year, the spending plan for the grant funds sets aside $75,000 for the Housing Rehabilitation Program and the $20,000 for the Commercial Rehabilitation Program. 

Last year, the Annual Action Plan renovated five low-income homes. The Commercial Rehabilitation Program has fixed a total of 64 local businesses in the last eight years.