Each year, Sandy City receives Community Development Block Grant funds to help build a stronger and more resilient community. In recent years, the total amount has declined, but the funds continue to do a tremendous amount of good. 

The CGBG committee meets each year starting in September to review the scoring process and go over the applications.

“They make the difficult decisions to put together funding recommendations that are incorporated into the annual action plan,” said Jake Warner, the long-range planning manager for Sandy. 

The committee recommended that $341,851 be divided between nine organizations and two city departments to be used between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. 

Warner presented the recommendations made by the committee on March 28. On April 21, representatives from the applicant organizations were given a few minutes to share information about their organizations and their reasons for applying. A motion was made by Councilmember Marci Houseman and seconded by Councilmember Zach Robinson to approve the Annual Action Plan for the use of CDBG funds during the 2023 program year. The motion carried with six votes (one member absent).

A new recipient this year was the Rape Recovery Center, which received $8,083 to provide mobile support to approximately 40 survivors of domestic violence in Sandy. 

Since 1974, The Rape Recovery Center has been the only nonprofit agency to provide free clinical, advocacy and mobile response services to sexual assault victims and their families in Salt Lake County.

“Last year, the RRC provided over 26,000 direct services to more than 3,000 survivors of sexual violence,” said Flor Olivio, development director for the Center. “It was our busiest year thus far. For this reason, we are exploring funding options in the various cities we have historically served.”

The RRC’s services include criminal justice system assistance, emotional support and safety services including therapy, information and referrals, personal advocacy, hospital accompaniment at the time of a forensic exam, and help to find shelter and basic needs after an assault.

“As we do a better job as a society supporting survivors, more survivors are making the brave decision to come forward after an assault,” Olivio said. “This means we have seen an unprecedented increase in services.” 

The other organizations that received CDBG funds this year were the Sandy Club, South Valley Sanctuary, The Inn Between, United Way of Salt Lake City, ASSIST, NeighborWorks, and The Road Home, which was awarded $5,000 for homeless housing case management and $20,000 for renovations to a property used for short-term housing. 

Michelle Flynn, a Sandy resident, spoke on behalf of The Road Home. 

“We have four housing units here in Sandy, where we have families living who we support with case management,” Flynn said. “As our name reflects, we really focus on housing as the solution to end homelessness and work with rental assistance with landlords throughout Salt Lake County, as well as different types of supportive housing programs.” 

Flynn reported that The Road Home has served over 4,500 people this year—56 who reported living in Sandy City just prior to shelter entry.

Under the category of public infrastructure, $115,000 was allocated for improvements to Main Street Park and around $67,000—less than 20% of the total—went toward program administration costs. 

“We have received about $30,000 less each year over the last few years from this grant,” Warner said. “The committee had to make some difficult decisions.” λ