The Conference of Mayors’ is sharing success stories daily on what Community Development Block Grants support in our nation’s cities.
Beaverton, OR
This year, Beaverton funded two organizations a total of $147,000. A tremendous success story comes from our partner Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, or MESO, and their work with Maria Roman (name used with permission). Maria is a seamstress and the owner of a small alterations business in Beaverton. Before receiving services from MESO, she depended on several safety net resources and had an income of $13,000. MESO not only provided her technical assistance for her business, but they also set her up with an IDA, as well as a loan to both grow her business and improve her credit score. Economic development activities in Beaverton leverage CDBG dollars by partnering with organizations who provide IDA’s, both at a 3:1 ratio and MESO offers low-interest loans. With enhanced marketing, a larger and more prominent shop location, and a better understanding of bookkeeping and business administration, Maria was able to grow her business exponentially in the three years she was eligible for CDBG-funded technical assistance. She now has six-figure revenues and was able to hire another employee. Maria began receiving technical assistance in 2013, and at MESO’s last check in with her in early 2017, she had grown her income by 1067%. Once living paycheck to paycheck, her business now contributes to an economically thriving Central Beaverton.
Mesa, AZ
The City of Mesa provided $700,000 CDBG funding for the construction of the Los Ninos Children’s Hospital. This hospital serves medically fragile children and 95 percent of the children served come from low-income households. The total cost of the project was $7,798.983. Other sources of funding included $200,000 from the City of Tempe, and other miscellaneous grants and donations totaling $398,197. During the next five years, it is anticipated that Los Ninos Children’s Hospital will serve over 1,250 children and will create 75 jobs.