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City presents draft HUD consolidated plan emphasizing affordable housing and homeless services; public comment period set
Summary
City staff and consultants outlined Mesa’s draft 2025–2029 HUD consolidated plan and annual action plan priorities — focusing on affordable housing, housing rehabilitation and emergency shelter services — and opened a 30‑day public comment window as required by HUD.
Justin Boyd, the city’s housing and community development administrator, and consultants from Civitas presented a draft five‑year consolidated plan (2025–2029) and the city’s annual action plan required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The consolidated plan is the federally prescribed document that sets priorities and spending plans for three HUD entitlement grants the city receives annually: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) and the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). Boyd told the council the federal continuing resolution leveled funding and staff expects allocations for the coming cycle to be similar to the prior year.
What the draft prioritizes: - CDBG: staff told council the draft emphasizes public facilities and infrastructure (sidewalks, ADA improvements and community facilities) and public services, with affordable housing identified as a high priority in public feedback. - HOME: the draft directs HOME funds primarily toward affordable housing activities that can include housing rehabilitation and new construction subsidies for affordable units (HOME typically acts as one source among several for new development), plus tenant‑based rental assistance where applicable. - ESG: the draft focuses ESG dollars on homelessness response activities: shelter operations, street outreach, rapid rehousing and prevention programs.
Staff summarized public input from surveys and stakeholder outreach. According to the presentation, respondents ranked affordable housing and supportive services as the top priorities; service categories receiving the most support included homeless services and mental‑health supports. Boyd emphasized that the consolidated plan format is prescribed by HUD and that staff consulted other recent city housing studies and plans to inform the draft.
Council discussion focused on two recurring questions: whether economic development should be funded through CDBG and how staff track leveraged funds. Vice Mayor Summers and Councilmember Adams asked why economic development — a top priority on the public survey results — is not set out as a primary CDBG funding priority. Staff and consultants explained that direct economic‑development grants to businesses are difficult to administer under HUD’s national‑objective rules and are rarely used by comparable cities; they encouraged alternative approaches, such as workforce development, business incubator facilities and other local programs funded from other sources. Staff also said the city tracks all leveraged funds and required matches, reporting those figures in annual performance reports.
Key schedule and next steps from staff: - The draft will be posted for a 30‑day public comment period that staff said opens March 30 and runs through April; staff will consolidate comments and return to council with a final submission for HUD review. - HUD requires submission and then typically releases funds for the new program year by July 1; staff said they will refine numbers after HUD issues final allocations.
No final council vote on the consolidated plan occurred at the meeting; staff sought and received council feedback and said they would return after the public comment period with any recommended changes.
