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Salt Lake City closes HUD consolidated-plan hearing after hours of nonprofit appeals for CDBG, ESG funding
Summary
City staff presented the first of two public hearings on the FY2026 HUD consolidated plan and related federal grants; dozens of nonprofit providers urged the council to fund homelessness, home repair and youth mental-health programs. The council closed the hearing and referred funding allocations for later action.
The Salt Lake City Council closed a public hearing on the city—s draft FY2026 consolidated plan and referred funding allocations for future action after hearing testimony from more than a dozen nonprofit providers on March 4. Allison (city staff) opened the hearing, describing it as "the first of 2 public hearings on the FY 2026 consolidated plan and the HUD grants" and saying the plan outlines how the city intends to use federal US Department of Housing and Urban Development funds over the next five years.
The hearing matters because the consolidated plan and the related one-year action plan determine how nearly $7.8 million in HUD funds will be allocated for affordable housing, homelessness services, neighborhood improvements and other community services across Salt Lake City. Nonprofits told the council that federal funds are essential to keep services running and to meet growing need.
Speakers representing nonprofit providers highlighted specific funding requests and program outcomes. Katie Dreyer, executive director of Wasatch Community Gardens, said her organization sought $40,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to pay wages for participants in a farm-based job training program for women experiencing homelessness and said "approximately 80% of graduates of that program secure housing and employment with us within 6 months." Josie White, philanthropic officer at Shelter the Homeless, urged the council to approve the organization's recommended $30,000 in Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding for operations at six Salt Lake County facilities that, she said, supply meals and transportation to shelter clients. Corinne Crow, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake, thanked the council for support of a critical home repair program that has helped roughly 200 people across the valley in the last year. Additional speakers included Sasha Harvey of Salt Lake Donated Dental Services, Rebecca Dunston of Children's Center Utah, Mary T. Calhoun of First Step House, Jason Wheeler of Assist Community Design Center, Roxy Harshbarger of the International Rescue Committee in Utah, Janice Kimball of Housing Connect, Jeanette Padilla of Food Justice Coalition, and representatives of the Somali community and other grassroots groups.
Council members moved to close the hearing and refer the item for later action rather than vote on allocations at the meeting. Councilman Polis moved to close the consolidated-plan hearing; Councilman Young seconded and the motion passed unanimously. For the related FY2025–26 one-year action plan and specific CDBG/ESG recommendations, Councilman Mano moved to close and refer; Councilman Young seconded and that motion also passed unanimously. No final funding votes were taken at this meeting.
Council members and the mayor's liaison acknowledged the difficulty of allocating limited federal dollars. City staff said the allocation process includes review by the CDCIP advisory board and the mayor's office before the council acts. The council will take up specific funding approvals at a later meeting after the recommendation and public engagement process is complete.
Votes and next steps: the consolidated-plan hearing was closed and referred for future action; the one-year action plan and CDBG/ESG recommendations were likewise referred. The council did not adopt funding allocations at this meeting.
