Lorain holds public hearing on draft 2025–29 CDBG/HOME plan; estimates $2.18 million for 2025

City of Lorain staff held a public hearing on the draft 2025–2029 Consolidated Plan and the 2025 Annual Action Plan, outlining how the city would spend anticipated Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds for fiscal 2025. Staff presented an estimated allocation of $1,575,000 in CDBG and $600,000 in HOME funds for 2025, for a combined draft budget of about $2,175,000.

The consolidated-plan process incorporates a year of outreach: an online survey with 129 unduplicated responses, three planning workshops (at Lorain High School and two library branches), and consultant reports including a comprehensive housing strategy and a fair-housing impediment study. Those inputs informed priorities such as preserving affordable housing, owner-occupied repairs, demolition of blighted properties, permanent supportive housing, public utilities and senior services.

“HUD is supposed to do that allocation announcement at the beginning of every year. It is February 10, and we still don’t have one,” said Matt Kuresnar, director of Building, Housing and Planning, explaining that the city’s 2025 budget numbers are estimates based on recent allocations. Kuresnar told the council that the city will submit its…