New London — A newly funded program could provide the means to control and prevent the spread of pesky bedbug infestations in the 436 units managed by the New London Housing Authority.

The City Council plans to funnel $14,729 from the federal Community Development Block Grant program this year into a “Don’t Bug Me” initiative that would help purchase mattress, box spring and pillow covers for the Housing Authority’s five housing complexes.

The City Council earlier this month approved the funding, along with other changes to recommendations made by the Citizens Advisory Committee. The committee is tasked with helping to sift through the requests from dozens of organizations vying for a portion of a limited pool of federal funds. The committee did not fund the bedbug program, but it is the council that has the final say.

The council also doubled the recommended funding to $14,729 for the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Connecticut to help boost its summer programs. The organization is headquartered at the 124-unit Thames River Apartments and managed by the Housing Authority.

Councilor Martha Marx said she helped push through the changes when she saw a means to aid the underfunded Housing Authority and tackle a public health and housing issue at the same time.

“It really bothered me because I’ve seen bedbug infestations and it’s awful and expensive,” said Marx, a visiting nurse. “Here we put our money where our mouth is. This is such an easy way to help stop the spread of the bedbugs.”

The council’s funding choices could come at a cost to other local organizations since the money, under the current plan, comes by taking 20 percent of the funds from a host of other organizations. The entire pool is limited to $157,000 under the proposed budget.

For example, the New London Area Food Coalition’s allocation would drop from $7,000 to $5,600 and Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center would fall from $10,000 to $8,000. The Hygienic Arts Inc. would get $3,200 instead of $4,000 and the Flock Theater $4,000 instead of $5,000.

The council is expected to take a final vote on Monday.

More than two dozen organization in all applied for CDBG funding this year and attended public hearings to illustrate their need.

“They’re all doing amazing things, so it’s very difficult to make a decision; they’re all so worthy,” said Tom Bombria, the Community Development Coordinator who oversees the grant program.

“It’s unfortunate we don’t have more money to give out,” he said.

The CDBG grants are entitlement funds reserved for lower-income communities and are annually distributed to the city from the federal Department Housing and Urban Development. The federal money primarily is intended for housing and public improvements for lower-income residents, but Bombria said the government allows a small percentage to be used for public service agencies and nonprofits if they address things like health and safety issues, underserved youth, job training, homelessness and economic development initiatives.

Bombria said that since HUD’s funding this year has not yet been voted on at the federal level, he used last year’s $740,234 figure for the estimate on how much the city could expect this year. Combined with $175,000 in carryover money, he has budgeted $915,234 in total.

The majority of the CDBG funds, or $757,500, is devoted to different divisions and programs within the Office of Development and Planning.

At least seven salaries within the department are funded or partially funded with CDBG money, including the community development coordinator, the neighborhood coordinator, the economic development coordinator and the city’s new blight enforcement officer.

Bombria and his staff are mostly grant-funded and, in addition to administering the CDBG grants funds, also manage the housing conservation program, among a host of others.

Patty Digioia-Everett, the New London Housing Authority resident service coordinator and human resources specialist, said the long-term goal of the Housing Authority is to purchase mattress, box spring and pillow covers for every unit under Housing Authority management.

The covers are used on beds that are treated as a way to suffocate any of the remaining bugs and prevent new ones from getting in.

Housing Authority Executive Director Roy Boling said the units are under a regular pest management program, but bedbugs are particularly difficult to totally eradicate. The added money will help, he said.

g.smith@theday.com