Community Agency Orientation Workshop

The City of Winston-Salem held a Community Agency Orientation Workshop focused on guiding local nonprofits and community-based organizations through the application process for city funding. The workshop detailed two main funding streams: local funding managed by the city's budget office, including general fund and occupancy tax funds, and federal entitlement grants managed by the Neighborhood Services Department, such as Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). Presenters explained application requirements, eligibility criteria, performance metrics, and scoring methodologies, emphasizing the use of the Neighborly portal for submissions. The city also introduced a new grant research platform, UNA Solutions, to assist organizations in identifying additional funding opportunities. The session included a Q&A addressing audit requirements, funding priorities, and legal constraints on capital expenditures. The meeting concluded with a public hearing on the Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan, highlighting recent housing assistance achievements and ongoing efforts to address homelessness and affordable housing needs in the community.