Our city government needed to meet yet again on April 25 to find some way to spend all of the covid relief funds that Pelosi and Schumer hope can bail their home states out of their financial woes. However, this is just a shameless pay-for-votes scheme. City Council hopes to announce the big winners in this round of funding at the May 10 City Council meeting.
The total ARPA award for Asheville was $26,293,853. The ARPA funds budgeted to date are $8,386,212. And the total ARPA remaining funds to be allocated is $17,907,641.
An army of twenty-seven city staff members has evaluated the nearly $65million in funding requests. Scoring of the proposals was based on guiding principles established by the city council members – “most specifically using an equity lens and investing in resilience”, whatever that means.
Let us be clear (In our best shaky Kamala voice, followed by a long cackling sound…). This list contains some proposals that sound very worthwhile. Others? Not so much, in our opinion.
How much have we already thrown at homelessness issues? According to the city’s last count of homeless individuals, the city seems to consistently hover at around 500 homeless people. So, this latest round of spending comes to roughly $50,000 per homeless individual. That is on top of earlier and future public funds directed at this issue.
Then we also see that the city thinks it is just fine to spend $2 million on services that are only available to certain people, based on their skin color. How is that not illegal?
CLICK HERE for full list of applicants and submitted documents
Here’s how they have chosen to spend your federal tax dollars through this latest round of socialist handouts:
Domestic Violence Services – $3,153,383
- The Mediation Center proposes to use its half-million-dollar award to prevent domestic violence, support those impacted by it and (because we don’t have enough non-profits and government agencies working on it already) provide services to the homeless.
- The SPARC Foundation will use $153,483 for a Domestic Violence Intervention Program.
- $999,900 will be awarded to ABCCM’s Transformation Village for 100 emergency shelter beds.
- Helpmate plans to use $1.5 million to expand emergency shelter services to victims of domestic abuse.
Homelessness Services – $2,625,950
- Because of covid, the city needs $653,000 to modernize and upgrade downtown restrooms. Beloved Asheville helped push for this project, and the proposal specifies that it aims to serve the needs of the homeless residents in downtown Asheville.
- Esther took half a million dollars for a litter and cleanliness program that addresses litter, homeless camp sanitation and clean up.
- Since the city can’t give enough money to Homeward Bound, they will award them yet another $999,900 for the renovation of the Days Inn Hotel as a permanent supportive housing center for the region.
- Eliada Homes plans to use their $473,050 award to offer homeless placement services, job training services, and a new drop-in center for homeless youth. This project will serve homeless youth aged 18-25 years.
Equity – $2,093,000
- $800,000 will be given to the Young Men’s Institute Cultural Center, which exists to lead the way for black rights and social justice. It would be difficult to condemn an organization that strives to provide business incubation services and mentorship programs. However, those services are only available to people with the right skin color. The proposal request appears to primarily help beef-up communications from this non-profit to the black community.
- Mountain Bizworks will receive $1,293,000 to expand the Mountain Community Capital Fund, a loan guarantee program focusing on low-income entrepreneurs who identify as people of color.
Miscellaneous Social Services – $907,248
- Because of covid (since that is what these funds are for), the city needs to take $514,120 for an “Inclusive and Accessible Government” program.
- The Green Built Alliance will receive $250,000 to support low-income households with free solar-energy systems, heating system upgrades, and replacements of old refrigerators to make homes more affordable, efficient, healthy, and comfortable.
- Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation will use its $143,128 award to work to improve the health of vulnerable residents of public housing and senior living facilities in Asheville. Their project will also help these residents avoid eviction, hospitalization, and other elevated, more costly levels of care. They plan to accomplish these goals through contracting with the Institute for Preventive Healthcare & Advocacy.
Affordable Housing – $735,000
- Another $600,000 will go to Habitat for Humanity’s “Equity and Resiliency Thru Affordable Housing” program.
- Thrive Asheville will use $135,000 on a program to increase access to affordable housing by working to recruit and retain landlords for their Landlord-Tenant Partnership program. That program works to match potential tenants with landlords who will accept HUD-issued housing choice voucher subsidies.
Food Services – $311,676
- A food program by We give a Share called “Southside Kitchen” will receive $90,000 and asks participants and beneficiaries to participate in the ownership, growth and preparation of food. This program seeks to provide a hand UP instead of just another handOUT.
- The Food Connection will use its $221,676 award to expand its Mobile Meals program. The program collects surplus prepared foods from local restaurants and repackages it into individual servings that partner agencies then distribute.
