By Mike Cook
During a special meeting on Friday morning, Aug. 27, the Las Cruces City Council is expected to vote on a resolution to allocate $1.4 million in emergency assistance from the city’s Telshor Facility Fund (TFF) “to provide funding for essential and critical services to combat the effects of COVID-19 across the Las Cruces community,” according to city documents.
The funds are expected to be allocated as follows:
- Families & Youth Inc.: $125,000 for the Mayor’s Meals/Food Initiatives and harm-reduction initiatives;
- La Casa, Inc.: $75,000 for housing and emergency shelter operations and supplies;
- La Piñon sexual assault and recovery services: $25,000 for the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program for medical and operating supplies and expanded staff hours;
- Casa De Peregrinos emergency food program: $75,000 for operating supplies (food/staff);
- Mesilla Valley Community of Hope: $150,000 for rapid rehousing, homeless prevention, mortgage and housing assistance;
- Homeless outreach coordinator/social worker: $50,000, subject to procurement;
- Community Action Agency (CAA): $200,000 for the Thriving Families COVID community assistance program; plus $75,000 for CAA’s childcare assistance program;
- Boys and Girls Club: $100,000 for expanded programing for More Members More Often;
- Catholic Charities: $150,000 for its Anti-Poverty Fund;
- Nonprofit reserve $75,000 for a “small project,” with a formal RFP forthcoming;
- $300 to the City of Las Cruces for an increase to the Utility Assistance Fund ($150,000), the Quality of Life Department’s Mask Up program ($50,000) and to various city department for PPE and rapid COVID-tests ($100,000).
TFF was created with money the city receives for the lease of Memorial Medical Center that is jointly owned by the city and Doָña Ana County. The fund contains almost $43 million.