While the Federal Government announced Tuesday it’ll begin taking applications for the next phase of Public Safety Canada’s Youth Gang Prevention Program, the head of one local community-based project said it’s not enough to keep kids away from gangs.

“We’re just scratching the surface with what we’re getting,” said Jamil Mahmood, head of the Spence Neighbourhood Association following the announcement. “We’re stretching every penny we have, but it’s not enough.”

The government has budgeted $7.5 million for the fund this year across Canada and will take applications until April 9.

Saint-Boniface MP Shelly Glover made the announcement on behalf of Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews, and she asked Mahmood to tell gathered journalists about the benefits of the fund, which his organization had used over the last four years.

He surprised Glover by asking his own questions of her during the planned event.

“(This time) it’s Canada-wide, and last time it was targeted to specific regional areas where there’s higher gang activities, and I was curious as to why that happened?” he asked.

Glover said the fate of potential projects would be decided by the quality of their application and not by their geographic region, but noted Aboriginal communities are their focus.

Mahmood said his group has been told their youth outreach program’which he estimates has been helping 50 kids every year’would likely not meet the requirements to receive funding this year so they’ve changed directions slightly.

“Rather than the focus being on just keeping kids out of jail and out of gangs, we’re going to focus on building cultural connections as well,” he said after the press conference. “The funding levels are pretty low so it’s hard to run intensive projects.”