The Janesville Community Development Authority on Oct. 15 recommended the 2026 Annual Action Plan to the Janesville City Council and approved a set of related state, federal and housing program budgets intended to preserve and expand affordable housing in Janesville and partner jurisdictions.

The action plan and budgets direct federal CDBG and HOME funding, authorize a larger down-payment assistance award for first-time buyers, and fund rehabilitation and new construction projects. Kelly, a CDA staff member presenting the plan, said the city and partners continue to face a shortage of affordable housing and that the plan follows priorities in the 2025–2029 consolidated plan.

The plan proposes continuing the Revive and Thrive exterior-repair program, which staff said could support about 20 exterior rehabilitation projects if funding matches expectations. The CDA packet shows a Revive and Thrive allocation of $390,000 for 2026; staff said that category includes direct contractor costs and program administration. Under that program, owner-occupied repairs can include windows, roofs and siding and are deferred loans of up to $25,000 that are repayable when a property is sold or transferred.

The authority recommended increasing the HOME down-payment and closing-cost assistance maximum from $10,000 to $15,000 per household; staff said the proposed $15,000 award aims to help eligible first-time buyers bridge rising purchase costs and build household equity. Kelly described the assistance as targeted to first-time homebuyers and said the funds often pair with Habitat for Humanity, banks’ products and other sources so the CDA dollars are rarely the only assistance a buyer receives.

Budget highlights cited by staff include $543,006.72 shown for affordable housing rehabilitation (described as the Revive and Thrive and related county/Beloit-administered programs), $250,000 in CDBG funds reserved for affordable housing development (no specific project identified), $850,000 in HOME funds earmarked for single-family construction with Habitat for Humanity, and roughly $750,000 proposed for multifamily development. Staff said remaining HOME-American-Rescue-Plan (HOME-ARP) funds total about $200,000 and were planned for supportive services tied to rental-rehabilitation projects.

Jennifer, a CDA staff member, summarized that the grant-funded budget is federally supported and that projected revenues assume level CDBG and HOME grants while noting the one-time nature of HOME-ARP funding used in 2025 for the ECHO project. She said HOME funds budgeted in 2025 for a larger affordable-housing project will carry forward into 2026 because those funds were not expended in 2025.

The CDA also took separate votes on Housing Authority matters. Staff presented the 2026 streamlined Public Housing Agency (PHA) annual plan for the Housing Choice Voucher program, citing accomplishments such as preserving assisted units by allocating HOME-ARP funds to acquire the 11-unit Jefferies Flats property for supportive housing and earning a “high performer” rating on HUD’s management assessment. Staff said the Housing Choice Voucher program now uses a payment standard set at 115% of HUD fair-market rents in many cases to help participants locate housing.

Regarding code enforcement and related services, staff described a proactive CDBG-funded inspector who works in lower-income, higher-density census tracts, meets residents to connect them to rental assistance, weatherization and other supports, and generally avoids forced interior inspections or knocking on doors for safety reasons. Post-purchase counseling — separate from mandatory home-buyer education — is being developed with NeighborWorks in Beloit to help new homeowners with in-home guidance after they purchase.

Staff also addressed potential impacts of a federal government shutdown on housing programs: Jennifer said HUD had prioritized funding through December for the Housing Choice Voucher program and that the CDA had received 2025 CDBG/HOME contract agreements before the shutdown, allowing reimbursement requests to proceed electronically; however, HUD staff were not available for questions during the shutdown period.

Votes at a glance
- Recommend approval of the 2026 Annual Action Plan and forward to Janesville City Council (motion made and seconded; vote tally not specified in the transcript).
- Recommend City Council approve the 2026 State and Federal Grants Program budget (motion made and seconded; recorded as passing; Bridges recorded a “yes” during the roll call and the item proceeded).
- Approve the 2026 streamlined PHA annual plan (motion by Max Ryan; second by Lisa Higgins; vote recorded as yes by Brian Bridges).
- Approve the 2026 Rent Assistance Program budget (motion by Greenland; second by Lisa Higgins; recorded in the transcript as passing unanimously).

The CDA Chair closed the meeting after announcing the next regular meeting will be held in November and the director staff reminded members of a Oct. 24 presentation on homelessness at Blackhawk Technical College hosted by the Homeless Intervention Task Force.