City announces $445,000 state housing grant and local community updates

During his city‑manager report the City Manager announced that the governor awarded the City of Needles $445,000 from the California Department of Housing and Community Development under the Pro Housing Incentive Program.

Daniels said the award includes funding to cover the city’s $50,000 per year membership in a regional housing trust for four years, subsidies designed to encourage rental workforce housing development, and a $250,000 allocation that the city can use over the next year to assist about 10 first‑time homebuyer families with down‑payment assistance. "This grant will cover that for the next 4 years," he said, describing the package as targeted to accelerate housing production and to help bring local workers into housing inside the city rather than across the river.

In the same report he announced a Caltrans free dump day (June 17) for eligible solid waste and confirmed he would inspect Jack Smith Park to verify the status of drinking fountains after a public comment raised concerns. The manager said that while some park fountains were under repair or vandalized, he had no knowledge of permanent removal and would confirm the situation.

The grant is intended to subsidize developer incentives and first‑time homebuyer assistance to increase housing availability, with staff to follow up on program implementation details.