City of La Porte Public Services Program

The City of La Porte’s Office of Community Development is seeking proposals for its Public Services Program, funded through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This program, which began in 2004 in La Porte, aims to improve the quality of life for low- and moderate-income citizens. Funded projects must align with national objectives set by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which include benefiting low- and moderate-income persons, preventing or eliminating slums or blight, or addressing urgent community needs where existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to health or welfare and other financial resources are unavailable. The target beneficiaries of this program are primarily low- and moderate-income residents of La Porte. The impact goals are centered around enhancing their quality of life, fostering self-sufficiency, and promoting self-reliance. This aligns with a broader strategic priority of community development that addresses fundamental societal needs and empowers individuals within the community. The foundation's theory of change appears to be that by providing targeted services and support in key areas, the overall well-being and economic stability of vulnerable populations in La Porte will improve. Funding priorities are categorized into three main areas: Homelessness, Non-housing Community Development, and Non-homeless Special Needs. Under Homelessness, objectives include coordination and outreach, rental assistance, supportive services, and prevention. For Non-housing Community Development, the focus is on providing support services to seniors, health services (including mental health), emergency assistance, and activities that promote self-reliance, employment, and education. It also aims to strengthen local housing organizations through fair housing outreach and education, and to collaborate with institutions to ensure access to mortgages and insurance. Non-homeless Special Needs focuses on special needs coordination and accessibility improvement. The expected outcomes and measurable results, while not explicitly detailed with specific metrics, can be inferred from the stated objectives. For homelessness, successful outcomes would include increased access to housing, reduced homelessness, and improved coordination of services. In non-housing community development, anticipated results include improved health and well-being for seniors, increased employment and educational attainment, enhanced fair housing access, and greater availability of financial services. For non-homeless special needs, outcomes would involve better coordination of services for individuals with special needs and improved accessibility within the community. The program implicitly seeks to demonstrate a clear and positive impact on the lives of low- and moderate-income residents through these various initiatives.