By Travis Barton | [email protected] 

Just over $1.2 million in federal money will go to needed public services and city programs after the West Valley City Council unanimously approved the recommended projects. 

Funds come from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development through the CDBG (community development block grant) program. Before funds can be approved federally, the city must have an action plan with a budget listing where the money will go. Fifteen percent of funds (about $185,000) go to public services like The INN Between, YWCA Utah and Crisis Nursery Support Center. 

Heather Royall, who leads the CDBG committee for WVC that makes final recommendations on where to budget the money, said there was a 6 percent decrease in funds this year for public services. 

Representatives from a few of those services expressed their gratitude to the city during the May 14 City Council meeting. 

Bobby Lord is with the Crisis Nursery Support Center (3660 S. 3600 West in WVC), a free nursery care for children ages 0-11. She said the West Valley City location is the most utilized and the only 24-hour location. There were 755 confirmed victims of child abuse in West Valley City last year. Lord said their goal is to prevent that from happening. 

“We just want to thank you guys, your funding is very important to us and directly impacts the number of people and hours we are available,” Lord said. 

Kim Cree with The INN Between, a community hospice for the homeless and assisted living center for elderly who can’t afford care and now has 50 beds since moving to their new location in Sugar House, thanked the council for their support. 

“You came and thanked us,” Councilman Lars Nordfelt said during the council meeting. “It’s super easy for us to say yes, but you’re doing the hard work so thank you.” 

Other funding included $714,000 to infrastructure and $247,262 goes to administration which is capped at 20 percent. 

The largest amount of funding was $350,000 for the Truang Park Development.