SANTA ANA : City OKs $6.1-Million Grants Distribution

The City Council approved the distribution of more than $6.1 million in U.S. Housing and Urban Development grants, most of which will be split among about 45 community service organizations.

The council on Monday also approved spending about $1.6 million of that money on fire equipment and street and recreation improvements.

The city’s share of the Community Development Block Grants, which HUD provides to improve low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, represents a 38% increase over the amount received last year. A staff report attributes the increase to a jump in city population shown by the 1990 census.

Major recipients of money include two city programs: Project Pride, an anti-gang program, which will get $230,570, and the After School Latchkey children’s program, which will get $55,500. The Orange County Museum for Contemporary Art will receive $283,000.

Other recipients include the Pacific Symphony and the Santa Ana/Tustin Meals on Wheels, which will receive $20,000 apiece, the Discovery Museum of Orange County and the Pride Development Council, which will get about $17,000 apiece, and the Cambodian Family, which provides aid to refugees, will receive $15,000. The Santa Ana Neighborhood Housing Services will get $7,400, and the Women’s Transitional Living Center Inc. will receive $7,950.

Also, the Blind Children’s Learning Center will receive $5,000, as will the Dayle McIntosh Center for the Disabled and the Catholic Charities of Orange County.