The Helena City Commission voted 5-0 this week to sponsor a Community Development Block Grant application on behalf of YWCA Helena, seeking $750,000 from the Montana Department of Commerce toward a $1.3 million renovation of the lower level of the organization's building at 501 North Park Avenue. The city's role is that of sponsoring applicant — no cash match is required from Helena taxpayers.
The YWCA's building is a historic structure, and the basement renovation would bring the lower level up to current standards for the programs the organization runs out of that space. The gap between the $750,000 grant request and the $1.3 million project cost would be covered separately by YWCA Helena. CDBG funds administered through the Montana Department of Commerce are federal dollars targeted at low- and moderate-income communities, and Helena has used the sponsorship mechanism before to help local nonprofits access grants they couldn't pursue on their own.
The unanimous vote signals no significant commission opposition to the application. Whether the grant is ultimately awarded is up to the state. If approved, the renovation at 501 North Park Avenue would be one of the more substantial investments in the YWCA's facility in recent memory.