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Councilors review $6.16 million HOME‑ARP appropriation for Hilltop replacement project
Summary
City staff presented an ordinance to appropriate $6,163,724 in HUD HOME‑ARP grant funds for the Tulsa Housing Authority’s Hilltop (Sunset Plaza replacement) project; councilors asked about spending deadlines, program mix and supportive services but no final vote was recorded.
City staff on Wednesday presented an ordinance to appropriate $6,163,724 in HOME‑ARP funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Tulsa Housing Authority’s Hilltop project, a replacement of the older Sunset Plaza housing complex.
The presentation said the appropriation will allow the city to enter a contract with project developers now that the financing package, including tax credits, is in place. A staff presenter summarized the funding split as “about $5,000,000” toward construction and roughly $500,000 for program services, including case management for tenants moving into the units.
The presenter said the Hilltop development will total about 109 units; roughly 10 of those units are expected to be designated for people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness using HOME‑ARP set‑asides, while others will be funded through project‑based vouchers. “We cannot enter into an agreement with anybody until they’re fully funded,” the presenter said, explaining that tax credits recently awarded allowed the project to reach full funding and triggered the need to appropriate the HOME‑ARP dollars so a contract can be executed.
Councilors asked staff to confirm the federal spending deadline for HOME‑ARP dollars and program details. One councilor asked, “We have to spend, by 2026?” and staff responded with a date that was unclear in the meeting record; staff said they would confirm the precise federal expenditure deadline. Councilors also pressed on the mix of supportive and permanent housing: staff said the project is “kind of a mixture,” with a small number of HOME‑ARP units for people who were homeless or at risk and the remainder mostly project voucher units.
No formal vote on the ordinance was recorded during the UED meeting; staff said the appropriation action is to allow the city to enter contractual agreements now that external funding is secured and that the item will proceed through the council’s regular agenda process.
Background: HOME‑ARP (HOME American Rescue Plan) funds are federal dollars allocated to jurisdictions to increase or preserve affordable housing and provide supportive services; the presentation noted the city submitted a HOME‑ARP plan in 2022 and has allocated most of its HOME‑ARP toward new affordable housing development.
Councilors asked for follow‑up clarifications on: the exact federal expenditure deadline for the HOME‑ARP funds, whether the project will include mixed‑income units, and how many units will be set aside for permanent supportive housing. Staff committed to providing those specifics in follow up so the council can confirm contract terms before execution.
The ordinance was described as an appropriation request rather than a final contractual action; staff said contractual authorizations will follow once the appropriation is in place and contract review is complete.
