Council Approves Amendment for Funding Food Banks and Pantries During Pandemic

The Pasadena City Council on Monday unanimously approved the submittal of an application for $1,220,949 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Community Development Block Grant CV Round 3 Program Year 2020-2021 (CDBG-CV3) entitlement funds amounting to $1,220,949. 

The matter was passed after a short presentation by Housing Director Bill Huang. 

The monies will be used to assist  low- to moderate-income households who are experiencing food insecurity as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. 

This application will also require the submission of a substantial amendment to the 2020-2021 annual action plan so that the amount can be used toward food aid distribution by local food banks and pantries to affected households. 

The presentation included a recommendation to use $1.1 million in CD8G-CV3 funds to create a new food insecurity program to be called the “Pasadena Food Pantry Program” that will be operated for one year through the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. 

Pasadena food banks and pantries that wish to participate in the new program will be able to submit an agency capacity review application and proposed program budget for review by city staff. Organizations that are selected through an exempt, non-competitive selection process will enter into a subrecipient agreement that will be submitted to the City Council for approval in December. 

CDBG funds are ordinarily used for youth services, sidewalk improvements, housing rehabilitation, public facilities improvement, and fair housing services that some nonprofit agencies and city departments implement. 

By “substantially amending” the 2020-2021 annual action plan, the city will be able to receive funding from HUD through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which allocates funds restricted to activities that prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19, including food assistance to the most vulnerable families in Pasadena.  

So far, the city has used $1 million in CDBG-CV funds to implement an emergency rental assistance (ERA) program, and has allocated $425,000 of its CDBG annual allocation to provide grants to small businesses affected by COVID-19 since the pandemic started. 

According to a survey by the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Science, current levels of food insecurity in LA County are much higher than pre-pandemic levels. More than one in four Los Angeles County households experienced at least one instance of food insecurity from April to July and among 42 percent of low-income households. By comparison, during all 12 months of 2018, 27 percent of low-income households struggled with food insecurity. 

The City Council has allocated funding to 10 food banks and pantries to help feed vulnerable residents from May to October. An initial funding of $159,607 for May to July allowed these agencies to serve an average of 12,900 individuals monthly. 

Earlier this month, the council appropriated an additional $206,200 to continue to support local food programs through January 2021.

The Housing Department report said a number of the food banks say their operations are currently stressed, and without continued city funding they will not be able to meet the increased demand for services expected in the upcoming months.