Lisa Badia appreciates the $5,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant money city officials are directing to the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless.

"It is very crucial for us to get local money like this because it helps us secure our federal matching funds," said Badia, executive director for the coalition.

During the 7 p.m. City Council meeting today, members will hear the first series of ordinances that will allow them to distribute the $1.48 million worth of regular CDBG money for fiscal 2010.

Nancy Prager, Wheeling economic and community development director, said CDBG money can be used for three purposes: to directly benefit low- to moderate-income neighborhoods; to remove slum and blight throughout the city; and to meet urgent needs in the case of a natural disaster.

"Only the funding for our public service agencies goes out right now. ... The public facility improvement projects still have to go out to bid," Prager said.

Badia said the city has provided CDBG funding to the coalition for the past four years.

"We use the money to help pay the utility bills for our transitional housing program," she said.

Badia noted the organization maintains eight apartments that are used by people trying to save enough money to afford a place of their own.

"We really appreciate any help we can get," she added.

In addition to the $5,000 for the coalition, the city is planning to give the following amounts to these public service agencies: the Catholic Neighborhood Center would receive $5,000; Wheeling Health Right would receive $23,500; the Community Child Care Center would get $4,000; Family Service-Upper Ohio Valley would receive $9,000; Laughlin Chapel would get $12,000 for fuel and to fund a rehabilitation program; the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling would receive $5,000; $4,000 for the Seeing Hand Association; and $8,300 would go to the Wheeling Area Training Center for the Handicapped.

Wheeling would use $75,200 to fund its Human Rights Commission, $58,000 for directed police patrols on Wheeling Island and $18,000 for administration and supplies at the Nelson Jordan Center.

The city would use $20,775 to install a new roof on the Hazel-Atlas Building, recently acquired by Youth Services System from West Virginia Northern Community College.

Preliminary estimates for public service projects include a plan to use $200,000 to demolish 32 buildings, with 16 of the demolitions taking place in Center and South Wheeling and an additional 16 demolitions in other areas of the city.

Other public service projects include paving Wood and Jacob streets in the area of 42nd and 45th streets; installation of a storm sewer on 39th Street from Jacob to Water streets; and installation of a sidewalk on the east side of Market Street in the area of 22nd Street.

In a related matter, the city is also using $396,522 in "extra" CDBG money to upgrade restrooms at the Capitol Theater. This money is drawn from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act..