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SACRAMENTO (Sept. 8, 2022) -- The BSCC today awarded more than $171 million in two grants: one to help people being released from prison succeed by gaining housing and other support, and the other to make California safer by reducing violence.

The money comes from the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant and the Adult Reentry Grant, both of which received from the Administration and Legislature a one-time boost of additional funds in 2022 to help meet the needs of communities across the state.

The Adult Reentry Grant is designed to help people being released from state prison secure housing and support services such as job training and legal services to remove obstacles known to thwart success. A total 103 community-based organizations will receive $117.6 million, which will be equally split between rental housing assistance and reentry services. The amount includes a one-time $57 million increase authorized in the Budget Act of 2022. The BSCC had received 163 proposals requesting $218 million.

The ARG grant recipients serve communities from San Diego to the Oregon border. The types of programs funded include: Centro CHA in Long Beach, which will provide occupational skill training programs; Volunteers of America of Los Angeles, which will help people secure housing and counseling services; and CityServe Network in Bakersfield, which proposes to navigate the search for housing with close case management supervision.

The three-year grants begin in October and run through April 20, 2026.

The CalVIP award was for the $53.5 million that remained after the Board distributed its initial round of funding in June. The $209 million in the initial fund exceeded the traditional $9 million the Legislature appropriates annually to the violence-reduction program. At its June meeting, the Board authorized a re-release of the Request for Proposals to give more cities and community-based organizations time to prepare.

Cities must be disproportionately impacted by violence to qualify; 53 California cities and the community-based organizations that serve them were eligible to apply. CBOs and governmental agencies must provide a 100 percent cash or in-kind match. For this second round of funding, the BSCC received 64 proposals requesting $129 million.

The anti-violence programs approved for funding include: The City of Moreno Valley, which will partner with the Rising Stars Business Academy to provide services for youth and their families who might be prone to gang involvement; the Urban Peace Institute of Los Angeles, which will train and deploys intervention workers to crime hot spots in the city; and The Peace and Justice Law Center of Fullerton, which will provide legal services to people transitioning out of gangs.

The three-year grants begin October 2022 and run through December 2025.

For more information about ARG, please contact Field Representative Tanya.Thompson@bscc.ca.gov

For more information about CalVIP, please contact Field Representative Katrina.Jackson@bscc.ca.gov