Pittsburgh council overcomes transparency concerns to approve $1.7M in anti-violence grants

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to provide about $1.7 million in grants to community groups combating gun violence, despite concerns raised last week by one councilman about how officials picked the recipients.

Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, questioned why the grants didn’t go to the applicants who ranked highest on a scoring system. But he, too, voted to disburse the grants to 39 community groups throughout the city after receiving an explanation about why officials diverged from the grading system.

“We should just be transparent,” Wilson said.

Officials scored 61 applications this year for groups looking to receive grants from the city’s Stop the Violence fund. Three of the top 20 scorers were passed over for funding. Nine of the 20 applicants that scored lowest are receiving money.

Wilson last week called for more information about why groups that scored higher were denied funding, while groups with lower scores will receive grants.

A six-page memo prepared by the Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention detailed how some organizations that were scored poorly were selected for grants. Some were prioritized because they were among the only groups serving specific neighborhoods or because an organization had a long-standing presence in the communities they serve.

Martin Langford, president of West End Mustangs, said his all-volunteer organization gives kids a safe place to be and provides athletic activities six days a week.

“I feel like the work we put in in the community speaks volumes for what we are as a program,” Langford said, adding the organization works with local schools and supports kids after tragedies in the community.

Though the Mustangs ranked near the bottom at No. 57, the Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention memo explained the group will receive $50,000 because it “fills a major service gap in this high-risk zone,” which included neighborhoods like Sheraden, Crafton Heights, Elliott, Fairywood and West End.

The group works with more than 250 kids.

Langford was one of several applicants who told City Council members Tuesday that he was more focused on serving the community than crafting well-polished grant applications.

“Beautifully worded applications do nothing to keep our children safe,” said Jasmine Green, creative director at 1Hood Media, which ranked 32nd and will also get $50,000.

Green argued that a process prioritizing only how the application scores is akin to an “essay contest” and encouraged officials to consider the impact each organization has on the communities it serves.

Wilson on Tuesday said the scoring system needs to be improved, but he was supportive of awarding the money after receiving a more detailed explanation of how groups were chosen.

Officials in July approved legislation that added new safeguards to the Stop the Violence fund, which has about $15 million in taxpayer money.

The Stop the Violence fund also provides money for the city’s Office of Community Health & Safety. Smaller portions of the fund go to support parks and recreation, as well as legal support for renters facing eviction.