City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: FEBRUARY 20, 2013
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: RASHAD M. YOUNG, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Authorization To Apply For 2013 Americorps State Grant To Fund A Child Well-Being And Family Support Program At Brent Place.
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ISSUE: City Council authorization to apply for an AmeriCorps grant of $124,794, from the Virginia Office on Volunteerism and Community Service (OVCS) to fund the Department of Community and Human Services’ ChildThrive!, a child well-being and family support program to be administered on site at Brent Place. The grant application deadline is March 7, 2013.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
(1) Authorize the submission of an AmeriCorps grant application to request funding for the ChildThrive! Program; and
(2) Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
BACKGROUND: An AmeriCorps grant established the ChildThrive! program at Brent Place in 2010. Brent Place is home to approximately 108 families, many of whom are foreign born. The complex is a subsidized 14 story apartment building located at 375 South Reynolds Street in Alexandria. It is comprised of 207 apartments consisting of 50 one bedrooms, 105 two bedrooms and 52 three bedrooms. While up to eleven units may be rented without income limitations, at this time all of the households residing at the property have incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income, including a large number of households with income far below that range.
Serious issues with violence and crime have plagued Brent Place for years. By providing on site services the quality of life and the living environment has significantly improved, especially for the children and youth. In program year 2010-2011 child protective services referrals fell by 33% and crime dropped by 10%. In program year 2011-2012 cr...
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