LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mayor Linda Gorton announced June 29 that her administration awarded $5.029 million in Extended Social Resource Grants to 34 nonprofit agencies, marking the first time the grant funding has exceeded $5 million in the city's budget.

The grants, pending Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approval, will support services in five priority areas over the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years: Community Wellness & Safety ($952,000); Childhood & Youth Development ($761,500); Food Insecurity & Nutritional Access ($746,000); Mental Health ($558,000); and Emergency Shelter ($2.01 million).

The funded programs will address mental health, substance use recovery and treatment, violence prevention, hunger, affordable and nutritious food access, early learning opportunities, youth development, violence intervention, and low-barrier shelter for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

"Through these grants, we help our partner agencies help residents who are most in need," Gorton said in a statement.

Kacy Allen-Bryant, Commissioner of Social Services, said the grants ensure the city can meet the needs of vulnerable populations. "As the name suggests, Extended Social Resource grants allow the City to fund agencies that provide services that are beyond our capacity and reach," Allen-Bryant said.

City officials from the Department of Social Services, Homelessness Prevention and Intervention, and Procurement reviewed 94 proposals requesting a combined $10.3 million. The Extended Social Resource grant program, which operates on a two-year cycle, has historically focused on community-based initiatives addressing the city's most pressing social challenges.

The grants represent part of Mayor Gorton's broader investment in social services. In April, she proposed including $5 million for extended social resource grant programs in her 2026-27 budget proposal, which also included $400,000 for housing stability services.