As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, several area agencies will receive federal grant funding in an effort to mitigate the impacts of the virus on homeless individuals and families. The assistance comes from federal Emergency Solutions Grants funds received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
During their last meeting of the year on Tuesday, Savannah City Council adopted a resolution which allows City Manager Jay Melder to execute contracts with the agencies and distribute the funds, which total $1,454,103.
The funds can be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 among homeless individuals and families who are receiving assistance; and to support additional homeless assistance and homelessness prevention activities to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.
The allocations are as follows:
- The Greenbriar Children's Center's emergency homeless shelter for children, which provides emergency shelter, counseling and a full range of supportive services to youth ages 11 to 18, will receive $52,500.
- Inner City Night Shelter's program Sojourner, Safe Haven 1 and Safe Haven 2, which provides emergency shelter, food, and other essential services to homeless men living with mental health and chronic substance use disorders, will receive $90,700.
- The Salvation Army's Center for Hope Emergency Shelter, which provides emergency temporary shelter, food, transportation, case management and other essential services to families experiencing homelessness, will receive $275,903.
- Union Mission's Grace House for Men, which provides emergency temporary shelter, food, case management and other essential services to homeless single men experiencing homelessness, will receive $97,600 and the organization's Grace House for Women will receive $50,000.
- Wesley Community Centers of Savannah's crisis intervention program, which provides case management, financial assistance to eligible participants to pay past due rent and utility bills to alleviate dispossessory proceedings to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless, will receive $887,400.
The city also officially committed to being green on Tuesday, adopting the 100% Savannah Clean Energy Plan, which aims to achieve 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for all energy needs by 2050.
Council previously approved the 100% Clean Energy Resolution needed to develop the plan in March 2020, making Savannah the fifth city in the state to pledge to pursue a lower carbon future to fight climate change.
"From a pledge to a plan, we got it done and thank you for all of your help," Alderman Nick Palumbo said in acknowledging several Savannah residents who served on various development groups.
The final plan as adopted this week includes 45 strategies that fall into five categories: energy efficiency; renewable energy; transportation and mobility; community and economic development; and education and engagement.
Council also gave the city manager the green light to develop an inclusionary zoning ordinance. Inclusionary zoning ordinances require a given share of new construction to be affordable for people with low to moderate incomes.
Under the resolution adopted by council this week, Melder will provide status updates to council during the second meeting of each month with the ordinance being implemented before the end of 2022.
Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier said she was pleased to see the item on Tuesday’s agenda.
“It will take the time required that the city manager has described in order to get this right and we can have something that’s uniquely Savannah and will work for us here in Savannah,” she said.
Katie Nussbaum is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at knussbaum@savannahnow.com. Twitter: KnussSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: City Hall notebook: Savannah council approves assistance grants, clean energy plan
The Latest
Featured
