Prescott Valley pulls out of county’s CDBG, affecting funding allocation
The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved 4-0 that Verde Valley Habitat for Humanity will still receive $400,000 from Community Development Block Grant funding for its Yavapai County Housing Repair Program to assist low-to moderate-income homeowners with health safety-related repairs to their residences, at its meeting on July 16. Chairwoman Mary Mallory [R-District 5] was absent.
The board of supervisors originally approved CDBG funding for $1.3 million during its Jan. 8 meeting. The town of Prescott Valley has since “removed themselves from [their] rural status and will be getting their own CDBG funds moving forward,” Mark Lusson, assistant director for development services said to the board. That loss of population — 51,000 Prescott Valley residents — decreased the funding available to Yavapai County in the CDBG calculations “by $266,080, giving us our actual funding now of $1,042,648,” Lusson said.
The county is eligible for CDBG funding every four years from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban that is administered locally by the Northern Arizona Council of Governments. Supervisor Nikki Check [D-District 3] sits on NACOG as the county’s representative.
The original amount requested was $400,000 for VVHFH, $400,000 to Prescott Valley Meals on Wheels and $500,000 to have Yavapai County Development Services replace cesspools in Seligman and Ash Fork with septic systems. The $266,080 reduction in funding was originally going to be absorbed by awarding VVHFH, the Prescott Food Bank and Yavapai County Development Services an equal amount of $347,549 each, according to the county staff’s recommendation.
However, following a motion by Check the board approved $400,000 to VVHFH, $271,323.50 to the Prescott Valley Food Bank, and $371,323.50 to development services. Check said that because Prescott Valley can now apply directly for annual CDBG funding as an entitlement community — unlike the county as a whole, which must wait until 2029 — any financial shortfalls could potentially be covered. Additionally, since VVHFH serves the entire county, Check said she believes the funding distribution is more equitable.
For more information about the Critical Home Repair program contact VVHFH at (928) 852-7661 or visit vvhabitat.org.
