The Racine Common Council voted Oct. 7 to reallocate $400,000 of available CDBG loan funds into an account to support the mayor’s clean sweep home-repair initiative, a program administration and council members described as intended to repair porches, roofs, windows and other exterior elements on a defined block of addresses.

The council approved the item after discussion about how the addresses were selected and whether the grant funds would be used for homeowner-occupied units or for landlord-owned properties. Mayor Corey Mason and Director Williams said the listed addresses are predominantly applications that city staff or volunteers had identified during the second clean sweep; Williams said all but one of the addresses on the list had submitted applications and would need to meet program qualifications before any funds were disbursed.

Alder Audra Weidner said she understood the list to include properties that had not applied, and questioned whether it is appropriate to commit CDBG funds to a set of single-block improvements. She expressed concern about the council approving money for multiple properties on one street and said she wanted clarity on eligibility and selection. Director Williams and the city clerk said some funds were pulled from several CDBG pots — including some multifamily or landlord-targeted accounts — and combined for this clean sweep allocation, and that owner-occupied forgivable grants and other pots had been used previously for rental properties when appropriate.

The approved list of sample addresses discussed in committee included properties on Franklin, Center and House Streets (listed in the committee report). City staff said one property included on the list is a rental; staff also said, however, that owner occupancy is a requirement for many forgivable-grant pots and that other unrestricted accounts may be used to cover landlord repairs where the rules allow. The clerk and Director Williams said the 400,000 allocation would fund the properties listed in the packet for the second clean sweep; any remaining funds could be used for regular CDBG grants if those applicants did not qualify.

Council action: motion to approve the $400,000 reallocation carried (roll call recorded; item carried). Staff direction: Director Williams and city clerk to ensure applications meet program criteria before issuing funds.

Why it matters: The reallocation draws CDBG dollars into targeted property repairs in a small geographic area and raises questions about program eligibility, landlord vs. homeowner funding, and how staff prioritized the block. Council members said they want clearer documentation of eligibility and historical use of each CDBG pot when a concentrated, multi-property application is funded.