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Redwood City has joined a coalition of local governments in a lawsuit opposing new federal restrictions on congressionally authorized grant funding.
Originally filed by the city of Fresno and other jurisdictions, the lawsuit aims to safeguard $25.3 million in grant funding designated for Redwood City. The suit, which Redwood City joined on Sept. 9, names the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as defendants.
“It’s a horrible position for the city to be in,” Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos told the Pulse, “for taxpayer money that Congress said would be for Redwood City projects to be threatened.”
According to city officials, recent executive orders have pushed federal agencies to impose new conditions on local governments applying for grants — including requiring the removal of terms like “equity” from grant materials.
“That would require us to compromise our community values,” the mayor said. “We’d break community trust if we agree to these conditions.”
A number of safety-net social services provided by community-based organizations are supported by this threatened funding. These include domestic violence services like those through the organization Communities Overcoming Relationship Abuse, as well as programs that help low-income homeowners make critical home improvements for safety and accessibility, like those of the Safe at Home initiative. The 94-unit affordable housing development at 1304 Middlefield Road and homeless shelter operations that serve about 180 unhoused folks would also be impacted.
Funding could also be pulled from safety improvements at Hoover Park, which has been a site of gun violence that’s had an effect on students, parents and school staff at Hoover Elementary across the street. Community members have called for these changes, which would include new lighting, upgraded pathways, a new tree-shaded picnic area and a water spray play feature — all of which are dependent on federal funding to construct.
Redwood City relies on federal funds to serve its more than 82,000 residents, which, it notes, are significantly cost-burdened. The Bay Area Equity Atlas database reported that just about half of the city rents, and just about half of those renters spend more than 30% of their income on rent, which is unaffordable by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s standards.
“This lawsuit is about fairness — about protecting the resources that have already been committed by the federal government,” said Martínez Saballos. “Redwood City is dedicated to protecting the essential services our most vulnerable residents depend on, and the vital infrastructure improvements that benefit all of our residents.”
Critical stormwater system upgrades also hang in limbo, which the county says are essential for protecting against flooding from increasingly frequent and intense storms. The Bay Road Complete Streets project does too. It involves the installation of dedicated bike lanes, pavement overlay and accessibility ramp improvements, among other changes from 5th to 15th Avenues.
“Joining this multi-jurisdictional effort is the most fiscally responsible approach to defend these critical funds paid by Redwood City taxpayers, and ensure they are invested back into our community,” the mayor noted.
The coalition of plaintiffs includes the City of Redwood City, along with the County of Marin, the County of San Diego and the City of Alameda. The original lawsuit filed on Aug. 20 was filed by the City of Fresno, the City of Eureka, the City of South Lake Tahoe, the County of Sacramento, the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota and the Monroe County Airport Authority in New York.
