Auburn planning staff unveil draft 2025–29 CDBG consolidated plan and 2025–26 action plan; public comment period closing

City planning staff on Feb. 6 presented the draft 2025–29 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Plan and the 2025–26 Annual Action Plan, outlining priorities for federal HUD funding, recent CDBG expenditures, community input results and next steps for council approval and submission to HUD.

Renee Jensen and Tiffany Beebe of the Office of Planning and Economic Development told the council the CDBG program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and provides formula grants to cities for affordable housing, community development and economic opportunity. The draft consolidated plan is required by HUD and sets priorities for the next five years; the annual action plan details projects and funding for the coming program year.

Key points from the presentation included recent funding and expenditure figures, community input results and proposed priorities for the 2025–26 annual action plan. Staff said the city received about $901,000 in CDBG funding in 2021 and that the five-year total allocated since 2020 is a little more than $4.3 million, with roughly $4.0 million expended over the last four years. Staff reported that about half of CDBG expenditures in recent years went to public facilities and infrastructure projects (parks, sidewalks), and roughly 13% went to public services; federal rules cap public services at 15% of entitlement funding and administration at 20%.

The consolidated-plan needs assessment and market analysis, prepared with HUD data and local agency input, show housing distress: staff highlighted that 56% of households earn at or below 80% of area median income (AMI), 31% of households experience cost burden (paying more than 30% of income for housing), and that 49% of renter-occupied and 16% of owner-occupied units exhibit at least one condition such as incomplete plumbing or kitchen facilities, overcrowding, or cost burden. Jensen and Beebe summarized community outreach that produced about 154 survey responses and two public meetings (Booker T. Washington Center and Seymour Library). The survey’s top three priorities were sewer and water line replacement, neighborhood revitalization, and housing projects.

Planned projects that staff highlighted for the 2025–26 action plan include a first-time homebuyer program connected to a Home Headquarters project at 232 Seymour Street, a home repair assistance program, a Home Access program with Arise to provide accessibility ramps and stair chairs, a Distressed Property demolition program, sidewalk replacement, a sewer-line rehabilitation project, Phase 2 of Wall Street Park, and a partner rehabilitation with Habitat for Humanity. Staff also noted annual CDBG public-service funding cycles that typically fund local nonprofits; staff listed past recipients such as BOCES, Booker T. Washington Center, Child Care Solutions, Rescue Mission, Chapel House and Aurora of CNY.

Beebe told the council that the draft budget for the annual action plan is based on the 2024 allocation because the 2025 allocation had not been announced; she said if the 2025 allocation changes by less than 20% staff plan to program modest increases to public facilities (for increases) or make cuts to public facilities/sidewalk projects (for decreases). If the allocation change exceeds 20% in either direction, staff will return to council with proposed budget changes and a new 30-day public comment period.

Jensen and Beebe said the 30-day public comment period on the draft plan ends Feb. 7; after the comment period staff plan to present the final draft for council approval and then submit the plan to HUD. No members of the public spoke during the CDBG-specific public hearing portion of the meeting.

Mayor James N. Genentino Jr praised the program’s local results, calling CDBG “one of the most successful federal programs in the country,” and council members thanked staff for the presentation. Staff said the full draft consolidated plan and appendices are available on the city website and in hard copy at the planning office.

Next steps: the council expected to consider a resolution to approve the draft plan at the next council meeting; after council approval the plan will be submitted to HUD for final review.