St. Cloud Allocates $520,000 to Combat Homelessness, Prioritizing Avivo Village Despite Planning Commission’s Recommendation Against Funding

(KNSI) – St. Cloud has divvied up $520,000 to five organizations whose mission is to help eliminate homelessness and assist those living on the fringes.

The Community Development Block Grants are federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing. The city will keep $150,000 as an administration fee from the $670,000 that was initially allocated.

The largest chunk went to Avivo Village. The $196,000 investment is to help design a $9 million low-barrier homeless shelter that can accommodate 56 residents at a time. It comes in addition to the roughly $230,000 they received in unspent CDBG money from the past couple of years.

Officials set aside $190,000 for the St. Cloud Housing and Redevelopment Authority. The money will help replace the roofs on the Brownstone Townhomes and for other improvement projects for lower-income families.

Place of Hope was given $109,000 to help upgrade the building’s sprinkler and heating system. The homeless center serves families who have no place to stay. The local business community has offered the facility a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $1.1 million.

Overcomers International Fellowship-Dream Center will get $20,000 to help replace the windows at their house at 500 – 16th Avenue North. The Dream Center provides housing for men getting out of prison or who are homeless.

Tri-Cap Project Connect got $5,000 for its fall program at the River’s Edge Convention Center. The annual event connects people who are at risk of being homeless with resources.

The council’s spending differs greatly from the St. Cloud Planning Commission’s recommendations. Instead of five projects, the commission wanted to help 11 local organizations. The others they felt were worthy included The Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota, Center City, Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity, St. Cloud Park and Recreation, District 742 LEAF, Lutheran Social Services, and Too Much Talent.

The commission recommended no funding for Avivo Village.

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