The Amarillo Community Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) held a detailed discussion this week regarding the reallocation of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding following operational changes in local homeless services. The conversation centered on the closure of the Guyon Saunders Resource Center (GSRC), adjustments to funding originally approved for Amarillo Children’s Home, and the expanding role of Transformation Park in providing day services to the unhoused community.
CDAC addressed questions about how CDBG funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would be redirected after GSRC ceased operations on Dec. 31. According to HUD, CDBG funding is designed to help local governments “develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low and moderate-income persons.”
Stefanie Rodarte-Suto, Community Development deputy director for the City of Amarillo, explained that GSRC had received approximately $33,000 in CDBG funding earlier in the year to support staffing and operations. City staff were not formally notified of the resource center’s closure until December. Once notified, staff calculated how much funding was needed to cover GSRC’s final months of operation, November and December, and set that amount aside. This left $29,295.82 in unspent CDBG funds originally allocated to GSRC.
“The rest of the monies for the rest of the fiscal year, January through September, we’re now available to allocate,” Rodarte-Suto said.
With GSRC no longer operating, Transformation Park stepped in to continue day center services, initially utilizing GSRC’s Tyler Street building. Transformation Park has since been added as a CDBG public service subrecipient, allowing the organization to receive the remaining GSRC funds to continue operations through the end of the fiscal year.
“They applied for the funding, and so they will receive the remainder of the funding for the year to carry out operations for the remainder of the year, January through September 2026,” Rodarte-Suto said.
In addition to the GSRC funds, CDAC also approved reallocating $15,432.34 that had previously been designated for Amarillo Children’s Home. Rodarte-Suto said the organization opted not to receive the funds due to timing constraints rather than a lack of interest.
Dianne Samaniego, director of Transitional Living Programs and Supervised Independent Living Programs for Amarillo Children’s Home, confirmed that decision during the meeting, stating the organization appreciated being approved for the funds but did not feel it could utilize them within the required timeframe.
Combined, the reallocated funds total $44,728.16, which will be directed to Transformation Park. The funding period begins in January and ends Sept. 30.
CDAC board member Katt Massey said the committee believed reallocating the funds to Transformation Park was the most practical option given the circumstances.
“The CDAC staff and the committee saw a need for the HUB to be able to obtain those funds and do more good for the community and further spread out what we can do with those funds,” Massey said.
Transformation Park has been operating day services through temporary locations while preparing to open its HUB, a renovated warehouse located across Sixth Avenue from the main Transformation Park campus. According to Justin Ward, the City of Amarillo’s Coming Home Program coordinator, Transformation Park received an emergency certificate of occupancy for the HUB on Jan. 23 and plans to begin offering day services there on Feb. 9.
“They’re going to ideally be able to provide all the same services that they had at the resource center, same folks it’s just a new place,” Ward said, noting that Transformation Park has absorbed staff from GSRC to ensure continuity of services.
Mark Zimmerman, executive director of Transformation Park, said the HUB was developed in response to delays in constructing the permanent Joe and Laura Street Day Center.
“As we begin to design what we thought we needed for the street center and the night shelter we never anticipated them being like a year, year and a half away,” Zimmerman said. He explained that the organization found a warehouse that is currently being retrofitted with firewalls and restrooms to serve as a temporary solution.
The HUB will function as a day center until the permanent facility opens. The Joe and Laura Street Day Center is tentatively expected to open in September, with full completion projected for January 2027. Once completed, the permanent facility is expected to include a commercial kitchen for meals served three times daily, computer access for individuals with multiple resource needs, and on-site medical services.
During the meeting, CDAC member Lee Studer asked whether the remaining funds could be opened to a competitive application process for other organizations. Rodarte-Suto explained that while CDAC typically opens applications annually, the board had previously approved limiting reallocations this year to agencies already approved for funding due to special HUD-related circumstances. She noted that opening a new application period could risk the funds going unused before the September deadline.
Public comments reflected broader community concerns. Amarillo resident Tim Benson called for expanded mental health resources for the unhoused population. Community Development Managing Director Jason Riddlespurger acknowledged the need but said current state-level funding does not meet demand. He added that improving access to mental health services would require additional time and funding.
Other residents expressed concerns about transparency and communication. Craig Gualtiere suggested more outreach to help the public better understand funding decisions. In response, Riddlespurger and CDAC members said they plan to discuss hosting an informational town hall in the future to address community questions and share goals related to homeless services and funding priorities.
