Plano staff present draft 2025–2029 consolidated plan emphasizing homelessness prevention and housing repairs

City staff presented a draft 2025–2029 consolidated plan that outlines how the city intends to use federal HUD formula grants—Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME)—to address housing, public services and infrastructure needs over the next five years.

Curtis (staff) told the council the plan assumes continued HUD funding, estimating prior-year totals of about $1.5 million for CDBG and $600,000 for HOME. He reviewed HUD program rules the city must follow (administrative caps, CHDO set-asides, public services limits) and shared maps and data showing aging housing stock, cost-burdened households and a shortage of affordable rental units in areas with concentrations of low- and moderate-income residents.

Staff proposed achievable, more targeted goals than the prior five-year plan. Sample targets in the draft included rehabilitation or repair of 68 housing units (with emphasis on critical repairs), two affordable housing units through new construction, limited down-payment assistance (three first-time homebuyer awards proposed), tenant-based rental assistance for eight low-income households, assistance to 350 individuals for homelessness prevention and an increase of five emergency shelter beds. Curtis said public engagement produced roughly 1,200 survey responses, focus group input from nonprofit partners and meetings with the Collin County Homeless Coalition; citizens emphasized repair assistance, rental affordability, transportation, senior services and homeless services.

Council members pressed staff on priorities and past program performance. Council member Williams and Council member Riccadelli both argued that down-payment assistance and acquisition/rehabilitation/resale programs provide concentrated benefits to a small number of recipients and recommended removing or reducing those components; they and others preferred steering more funding to homelessness prevention and critical homeowner repairs (for example, foundation or replacement of cast-iron plumbing). Riccadelli also asked for information about the values of homes that received previous large repair grants; staff said the city’s records show the repairs occurred and gave example cost categories (96 projects over four years; 64 emergency repairs averaging roughly $11,600; 30 non‑emergency projects averaging roughly $79,300) but staff did not have home-value data on hand.

Staff explained CDBG may be used for public facilities and infrastructure projects in income-qualified areas (identified on the plan maps) but HOME funds cannot be used for general infrastructure. Curtis said the draft is intended to set realistic goals given market conditions and nonprofit capacity, and staff will return in about six weeks with the final plan and the statutorily required public hearing and adoption.

Councilmembers asked staff to prioritize homelessness prevention, to reserve CDBG funding for public facilities in eligible census tracts (for example, a senior center or day resource center for people experiencing homelessness), and to provide additional breakdowns on prior repairs, nonprofit capacity and how administrative funds are used. Curtis said staff will bring a final plan back for adoption and a required public hearing in the coming weeks.