Council to Vote on Spending More Money on Local Food Programs

At its meeting Monday, the City Council will vote on spending $206,200 to increase capacity at local food banks to address food insecurity resulting from the effects of the current pandemic.

Currently, there are 20 food banks and pantries operating in Pasadena to provide for residents experiencing food insecurity.

From May through October, the city has provided funding totaling $245,807 to support the operations of 10 programs.

The city participates in the state-sponsored Great Plates Delivered program which provides meals prepared and delivered by local restaurants for older adults who are considered high-risk and unable to access meals during the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of job losses across the country, leaving families without adequate food,” states a city staff report. “Statistics published by the Pew Research Center found that food insecurity across the country has risen significantly since the pandemic sidelined 14 million workers from February to May 2020.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the problem is expected to grow even worse for households with more children not attending child care and school, where they receive meals. Changes in employment status during the COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to the problem.

Another potential source of funding for the city to increase the capacity of local food bank programs is the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

On Sept. 11, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made a special allocation of $1.2 million to the city in CDBG funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. HUD has provided a total of $2,453,511 in CARES Act funding to the city to support programs in response to the pandemic. 

CDBG-CV funds may be used for any activity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVI D-19. 

Currently, CDBG-CV funds are being utilized on the city’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which provides a total of $1 million in back rent assistance to low-income tenants.

City staff is recommending that this most recent allocation of $1.22 million be prioritized by the city to increase the capacity of local food banks/food pantries to alleviate food insecurity experienced by Pasadena residents as a result of the pandemic. 

If the CDBG-CV funds were to be allocated to support Pasadena food bank programs, sub-recipient vendors would be required to draw the funds on a cost-reimbursement basis. They must have adequate accounting systems in place, and funds must be expended by September 2022. In addition, 20 percent of the funding allowed must be used for program administrative costs. 

“Should Council direct staff to utilize this funding source to increase the capacity of food banks in Pasadena to address food insecurity, staff will return with recommendations pertaining to a Memorandum of Understanding and program scope to be administered by Parks, Recreation and Community Services, budget authorization, and amendment to the city’s Annual Action Plan as required by HUD,” states the staff report to the council.

“If Council acts to prioritize CDBG-CV funds for food banks and pantries, it is anticipated that the funds will be available for disbursement in early-January,” according to the report.