HUD awards St. Louis nearly $7 million for zoning, infill housing and process reforms

The Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee advanced board bill 29, an ordinance authorizing St. Louis to accept a competitive HUD grant titled Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Affordable Housing and to appropriate about $6.999 million to the Community Development Administration (CDA).

Noel Pfeffer, CDA executive director, said HUD awarded the city the full $7 million request after a 2023 application and a stronger 2024 resubmission. “We applied again, on October fifteenth of 2024, and this time, we're awarded our full $7,000,000 request,” Pfeffer said. The grant period runs from February 2025 through September 2030.

Pfeffer described three program objectives: (1) regulatory and policy updates including a zoning code overhaul and updated historic district standards, (2) targeted development and a competitive infill program—with $3.25 million set aside for projects in the Ville and Greater Ville—and (3) capacity expansion and improved communications across city offices to accelerate approvals and increase housing production.

Key funded activities listed in the city’s proposal and presented to the committee include $750,000 for the zoning code overhaul (leveraging an additional $1 million in ARPA money), $400,000 for an affordable housing design book (a preapproved library of designs intended to reduce architectural costs and expedite permitting), $3,250,000 for infill housing development, smaller grants for policy updates and outreach, and staffing funds for CDA, the planning department and SLDC to support program administration and a citywide housing strategist role.

Pfeffer told the committee the city is piloting a proactive development model: the city defines the geography, design and budget and solicits developer proposals rather than reacting to developer‑led site proposals. The city identified a target area in the Ville (near Garfield and Aldine, north of MLK) and issued a request for proposals in March; Pfeffer said the application deadline for the infill notice of funding availability was extended from June 13 to July 14 after the tornado to allow local grassroots developers more time to apply.

Casey Milberg, policy director for the mayor, endorsed the award and said the grant is well aligned with ongoing city investments and immediate recovery needs in impacted neighborhoods.

Committee members asked whether the Ville selection predated the tornado (it did) and how the design book will be managed. Pfeffer said the design book will be a digital library with preapproved designs, estimated budgets and zoning guidance so developers can select plans compatible with specific zones without additional approvals. He said nonprofit and private developers are eligible to apply for the infill program and that the selection process will include neighborhood planning committee input and interviews of shortlisted developers.

The committee moved to un‑bank and advance the bill with a do‑pass recommendation. Staff said next steps include entering subrecipient agreements with the Planning Department and SLDC and reviewing applications for infill awards over the summer.