Clark County Community Services staff told the La Center City Council on March 26 that the county is preparing its five-year HUD consolidated plan and is seeking public input through May 10 before the plan goes to the Clark County Council for adoption.

The presentation explained that the county’s entitlement funding comes from HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships programs and described who and what those funds can serve. “Community development is really about housing,” said Michael Torres, a program manager with Clark County Community Services. Torres and consultants said the county’s CDBG award for program year 2024 was about $1.5 million and the HOME award was just over $500,000, and both change year to year based on HUD’s formulas.

Why it matters: CDBG and HOME are the county’s primary federal tools for affordable housing, public services and small capital projects outside Vancouver (which is an entitlement city and receives its own allocation). The county’s plan will set strategic priorities for those limited funds for five years and include a detailed annual action plan for the first year.

County staff and consultants walked through HUD rules that constrain how the funds may be used: CDBG activities must meet one of three national objectives (benefit low-/moderate-income persons, prevent slum/blight under narrow conditions, or address urgent need if HUD approves), and CDBG public-service spending is capped at 15% of the entitlement. “If you’re developing rental housing, the HOME program generally targets those at 60% or below of area median income,” said Elizabeth McNaney, one of the consultants. The presenters illustrated income thresholds used for eligibility (for a household of four, the CDBG threshold cited was $94,400 and the HOME threshold $70,800) and noted the planning-and-administration caps (20% for CDBG; 10% for HOME).

Consultants described eligible activities the county typically funds: single-family housing rehabilitation, small-business microenterprise assistance, tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) under HOME, public facility or infrastructure improvements that serve areas where at least 51% of residents are low/moderate income, and community public services (subject to the 15% cap). They also noted ineligible uses, such as paying routine government operations or most government building purchases except limited ADA upgrades.

Public engagement and timeline: surveys and stakeholder interviews are underway; consultants asked residents and nonprofits to complete the survey and participate in targeted meetings. The consultants said the consolidated plan will be presented to the Clark County Council in May; final budget numbers won’t be fixed until HUD issues actual allocations (typically about 60 days after the county knows the federal HUD budget). “We’re accepting information through May 10,” McNaney said, and added that public comment will be solicited when the draft is posted.

County officials said survey feedback so far emphasizes housing affordability and shelter, behavioral and health services, and child care. Consultants noted that Clark County has one domestic-violence shelter and stakeholders repeatedly raised gaps in services that help people transition from homelessness through supportive and permanent housing.

The consultants said nonprofits and clinics would be typical subrecipients for any public-service awards and that the urban-county policy board — comprised of participating cities and the county — scores and recommends project funding in the annual solicitation. The presenters also said communities commonly use CDBG and HOME in combination with partner funding because the federal awards alone do not meet all local needs.

Staff asked for questions from the council and public and offered contact information for follow-up. The county’s public-survey links and supporting materials will be shared by email and on the county website, the presenters said.

Ending: County staff advised residents and nonprofit partners to watch the county website for the draft action plan and use the May 10 deadline to submit feedback that will inform the first-year annual action plan and the broader five-year priorities.