[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6212110,"mediaKeyId","3685949-122e5713aa1143f51d39d34bd1e52120","parentId",3685949,"title","Committee reviews draft application for Impacted Tenants Fund to assist displaced renters","audioSeconds",894,"startMs",3690000,"endMs",4584000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3685949-122e5713aa1143f51d39d34bd1e52120&start=3690&end=4584","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3685949-122e5713aa1143f51d39d34bd1e52120/thumbnail_3690000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6212110/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Committee-reviews-draft-application-for-Impacted-Tenants-Fund-to-assist-displaced-renters","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6212110-5febcdcb2bce9bd0508fc7e20dd47bb9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933813&Signature=P7aFyCnCqF8UL557-f~m-QUGPBmqI9WYIoEdkynGypQxg0voAsFIaL7iiWaRVfR~r96qI76afNw5qtubvkV9bG8ouCJ~gmu3Kl25khFSTyO0WkT~ZH51YPjGNniglc0MohurxyimWBG05ny3ZkAbkV8tdaIVjZXmEgAfot8lgNmQ1GYkaX47wff7NaEeB6WCw~bzbUfiJTz~CoMUmM~Mx0ki~goPIV-FpGw5rJwFX31sO3oiBs7mtmKAB8ZROVayaBpZTmbYZVSen0gPUUrRwlA-0Xr83E3X4v93NlZHrXvodfIdtago6a-G1w4bjs8VpUjiAKuMNjU1svo941-p6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of St. Louis, MO","date","2025-06-06T10:20:59Z","article","The Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee reviewed a draft application for the Impacted Tenants Fund, a city program to provide direct cash assistance to tenants displaced by storm damage or whose units have been condemned.

Alderman Aldridge presented the draft application and thanked Department of Human Services deputy director Valerie Russell and mayoral policy staff for rapid work to implement the program. The application asks applicants for identifying information, the impacted address, leaseholder name, dates of lease, number of bedrooms, landlord contact information and whether the applicant has already secured new housing.

Valerie Russell, deputy director of the Department of Human Services, told the committee staff will cross‑check multiple databases (the Building Division’s tag/inspection database, a UMSL‑compiled Airtable of reports, Vacancy Collaborative/SLDC data, and records held by CDA) and use a contracted implementing partner (Employment Connection) to validate addresses and eligibility. Russell said the program will initially run from city funds (including fines) and an additional city allocation; she listed example award amounts tied to 2025 Fair Market Rent (FMR): “a 1 bedroom unit would be $984. 2 bedrooms, 1,215. 3 bedrooms, 1,570. 4 bedrooms, 1,806.”

Russell cautioned that if the committee later decides to deploy CDBG household assistance to tenants, the application would need to be revised to collect income information and other CDBG‑required documentation. “We may need to do 1 more iteration or revision of this application to make sure that we are not going to change the application after so many months,” she said, noting the goal of avoiding inconsistent documentation requirements across applicants.

Committee members raised concerns about multigenerational households, occupants not listed on leases, potential conflicts of interest (city employees or relatives of officials), and whether demographic or nondiscrimination disclosures should be added. Alderman Keith asked how households where multiple people lived at an impacted address but only one was on the lease would be handled; staff said the ordinance authorizes payment to the leaseholder, and the leaseholder would determine intra‑household sharing of funds.

City staff said the initial funding for payouts will come from city sources (building‑division fines and departmental carryover and ARPA for implementation costs) and that the department had submitted an additional $100,000 request for the June ENA meeting. Russell said the ordinance requires payments be made directly to individuals and that the department lacks the ability to enforce how recipients spend cash once it is received; she recommended clear applicant communications about the program’s intent and limitations.

The committee discussed additional legal disclosures and review by the city counselor’s office before broad public release. Several committee members asked staff to coordinate with the city counselor’s office to add customary application disclosures, nondiscrimination statements and conflict‑of‑interest reporting as appropriate before finalizing the application for release. The item was held for further revisions and will return to committee for approval as required by the ordinance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee - June 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee reviewed a draft application for the Impacted Tenants Fund to provide cash assistance to tenants displaced by tornado damage or by city condemnations.","taxTitle","St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Missouri","taxId",2587,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6212115,"HUD awards St. Louis nearly $7 million for zoning, infill housing and process reforms",1086,2244000,3330000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3685949-122e5713aa1143f51d39d34bd1e52120&start=2244&end=3330","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3685949-122e5713aa1143f51d39d34bd1e52120/thumbnail_2244000.jpg","/articles/6212115/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/HUD-awards-St-Louis-nearly-7-million-for-zoning-infill-housing-and-process-reforms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6212115-dcdaa2b3003226b96caec850b050d07c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933813&Signature=K2GJRHlul~crEzjP5D2Vjpiqg6MMNkf5SLthtEMAt-l-msrimiZHWeJip8y9Rel1vkDqrZmTrIcC3wxpzpL02e3y9oXelIrUliZmzuh9qS~JUMvMuTuMNfYUW2jRBmcoQ0UpQknkgzDLWcNKbJaTb3vbyRlz0HL2HrECrl0GvtXPTqLqATA4drl7Dq-fNqhgMcpYte1-xUuQ3QXwUqsUKeakg1sgwom2TpHFCtGLirYEzpdkoo45cm-p~qOL-HJAvIxBWQ14uGG5a90~LXH7TWdHy0WZPYZzeKps2~5dxx~~V~U-3XnTUZDT-uQrm8wKATe-a-cnsdq5DqqcddKItg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee advanced board bill 29, an ordinance authorizing St. Louis to accept a competitive HUD grant titled Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Affordable Housing and to appropriate about $6.999 million to the Community Development Administration (CDA).

Noel Pfeffer, CDA executive director, said HUD awarded the city the full $7 million request after a 2023 application and a stronger 2024 resubmission. “We applied again, on October fifteenth of 2024, and this time, we're awarded our full $7,000,000 request,” Pfeffer said. The grant period runs from February 2025 through September 2030.

Pfeffer described three program objectives: (1) regulatory and policy updates including a zoning code overhaul and updated historic district standards, (2) targeted development and a competitive infill program—with $3.25 million set aside for projects in the Ville and Greater Ville—and (3) capacity expansion and improved communications across city offices to accelerate approvals and increase housing production.

Key funded activities listed in the city’s proposal and presented to the committee include $750,000 for the zoning code overhaul (leveraging an additional $1 million in ARPA money), $400,000 for an affordable housing design book (a preapproved library of designs intended to reduce architectural costs and expedite permitting), $3,250,000 for infill housing development, smaller grants for policy updates and outreach, and staffing funds for CDA, the planning department and SLDC to support program administration and a citywide housing strategist role.

Pfeffer told the committee the city is piloting a proactive development model: the city defines the geography, design and budget and solicits developer proposals rather than reacting to developer‑led site proposals. The city identified a target area in the Ville (near Garfield and Aldine, north of MLK) and issued a request for proposals in March; Pfeffer said the application deadline for the infill notice of funding availability was extended from June 13 to July 14 after the tornado to allow local grassroots developers more time to apply.

Casey Milberg, policy director for the mayor, endorsed the award and said the grant is well aligned with ongoing city investments and immediate recovery needs in impacted neighborhoods.

Committee members asked whether the Ville selection predated the tornado (it did) and how the design book will be managed. Pfeffer said the design book will be a digital library with preapproved designs, estimated budgets and zoning guidance so developers can select plans compatible with specific zones without additional approvals. He said nonprofit and private developers are eligible to apply for the infill program and that the selection process will include neighborhood planning committee input and interviews of shortlisted developers.

The committee moved to un‑bank and advance the bill with a do‑pass recommendation. Staff said next steps include entering subrecipient agreements with the Planning Department and SLDC and reviewing applications for infill awards over the summer.","Board bill 29 authorizes acceptance of a competitive HUD 'Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing' grant (about $6.999 million) to fund zoning overhaul, an affordable housing design book, targeted infill development in the Ville/Greater Ville, and staffing to speed approvals and increase capacity.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6212119,"Board bill 28 approves $5 million CDBG appropriation for tornado recovery",741,952000,1693000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3685949-122e5713aa1143f51d39d34bd1e52120&start=952&end=1693","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3685949-122e5713aa1143f51d39d34bd1e52120/thumbnail_952000.jpg","/articles/6212119/St-Louis-City/St-Louis-County/Missouri/Board-bill-28-approves-5-million-CDBG-appropriation-for-tornado-recovery","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6212119-e30507a5e5a2ae4e9fd593c5d44c55dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770933813&Signature=WIc-44KdgFf0PFkqMbTBiicSscVYAwdGER25JTVWBpGlJFRFaKV2aZeZxUl-jdb1JrhaZpbiodh-iopH53XVAKf1p5sDe-lNPxduW0Iw1Qrav5BHQb10LjFtHiITDuBj5jn3QrVqf9XjIJIKAeyLwE0kPK5xmq11FwgcNKSM85Xnf4dYb-PzEPJEZHMV8ZhOmsZZFbY~JrYtYMnfym2DSyYbrZlVRSlSi9-qePdTOvdqE4h7fA5D-q3XZdB-tVKZpjswMhJxnn7hhDo9bgTVqYZqVLXmd3RegWJxUdb7PVF356tnPk8-JRyjCaMAe783QmnHm45Cx26MEoaHO6w~5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Louis City Board of Aldermen’s Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee voted to advance board bill 28, an ordinance to appropriate roughly $5 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to tornado recovery efforts.

The money will be directed by the Community Development Administration (CDA) into three primary uses: household assistance, debris and tree removal, and home repair. Noel Pfeffer, executive director of the Community Development Administration, told the committee the appropriation reflects unappropriated HUD allocations from 2018–2021 that the city discovered during its consolidated planning process.

“This appropriates $5,000,000 as part of a broader $7,400,000 substantial amendment to redirect CDBG … to support tornado recovery efforts,” Pfeffer said. He said the appropriation shown today represents available, unappropriated HUD formula awards and that a separate $2.4 million in already‑appropriated funds will be reallocated through the required HUD substantial amendment.

Pfeffer described the three spending buckets and how the amounts were chosen: household assistance capped by HUD rules at 19 percent of CDBG (about $1.4 million), and the remainder split evenly between debris/tree removal and home repair (each about $3.0 million when combined with the broader amendment). He said the household assistance cap is a statutory HUD cap on public services and cited the need to coordinate with the emergency operations center to set priorities.

The CDA said it will request five waivers from HUD, including shortening the public notice period from 30 days to five and seeking an exemption under 58.3481 to accelerate environmental reviews that currently must be completed per household. Pfeffer said Mission Saint Louis will be used as a subrecipient for home repair work and that the city will procure contractors directly for debris and tree removal.

Policy director Casey Milberg for Mayor Spencer’s office said the administration is continuing to press for a presidential major disaster declaration but will move available local and federal resources in the meantime. “We still do not have a major disaster declaration,” Milberg said. “We are continuing … alongside our state and federal partners to keep advocating, providing more data.”

Committee members asked about the timing and source of the funds and the consolidated plan process that revealed the unappropriated HUD awards. Pfeffer explained that HUD formula awards are often estimated and appropriations timing can create gaps; the 2018 award discrepancy was the largest and the city now plans to be more conservative in assumptions.

After discussion the committee voted and recorded the bill as \"in bank\" and later approved it with a do‑pass recommendation. The committee and city staff said they will circulate a detailed substantial amendment and supporting documentation to the Board of Aldermen and to HUD as required, hold the HUD‑required public hearing on June 12, and proceed with contracting efforts.

Officials emphasized that distribution priorities for household assistance will depend in part on whether FEMA provides assistance under a presidential declaration and on gaps left by other funding. Pfeffer said home repair capacity will need to scale substantially beyond current program levels to meet anticipated demand.

The committee did not set final program rules in the ordinance; staff said the CDA and its partners will return with operational details and specific contractual scopes once HUD approvals and waivers are in place.","The St. Louis Board of Aldermen committee advanced an ordinance to appropriate $4,999,000 (reported in discussion as $5,000,000) in Community Development Block Grant funds for tornado relief, splitting the money into household assistance, debris/tree removal and home repair and seeking HUD waivers to speed deployment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee reviews draft application for Impacted Tenants Fund to assist displaced renters

HUD awards St. Louis nearly $7 million for zoning, infill housing and process reforms

Board bill 28 approves $5 million CDBG appropriation for tornado recovery