Scottsdale holds first of two public hearings on HUD five‑year consolidated plan and needs assessment

Good evening. "Tonight, is public hearing number 1 of 2 required for our 5 year consolidated action plan for 2025 through 2029," Mary, city staff, told the Human Services Advisory Commission during the commission’s February meeting. The hearing presented the needs assessment that will inform Scottsdale’s Consolidated Plan and the year‑one annual action plan funded by HUD allocations.

The Consolidated Plan is a HUD requirement that outlines how jurisdictions will use Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds over five years. Mary told commissioners the plan identifies priorities and goals to address housing, community development and services for low‑ and moderate‑income residents and solicited public input that will shape the draft to be published for comment beginning March 3.

Mary said 96 responses were received at the community kickoff and survey efforts that began June 26, 2024. The needs assessment ranked four top priorities for Scottsdale for 2025: public facilities and infrastructure improvements, public services, development and preservation of affordable housing, and effective program administration. Under affordable housing, residents identified HVAC replacement/repairs, new construction of affordable housing, rental assistance, energy efficiency improvements and down‑payment assistance as top housing needs.

Mary described how program income—revenues such as rent from city‑owned properties and repayments of deferred loans—flows back into CDBG activities. She used the city’s housing rehabilitation loan‑forgiveness example to illustrate the mechanism: lenders place a lien and forgive 50% of an eligible loan after three years of continuous occupancy; when the property is later sold, the remaining 50% is repaid to the city and returned to CDBG activity.

Commissioners asked for clarity on process and timing. One commissioner asked whether the consolidated plan’s final draft would return to the commission for review and vote; Mary said that in prior cycles it had not, but she could work with staff to place the draft on the commission agenda sometime between the March 3 public comment opening and the April 22 City Council hearing. Commissioners also asked whether responses from the department’s separate community survey had been considered; Mary said that input was built into the strategic planning process and was shared across efforts.

Mary warned that federal funding remains subject to federal appropriations and noted Scottsdale was operating under a continuing resolution; she said allocations are uncertain until HUD finalizes them but that staff estimated roughly $1.1 million in CDBG entitlement for the coming year (an estimate later stated by another presenter as roughly $1,080,000). Mary said tentative allocations would be included in the draft annual action plan and that formal public comment would run through April 22, when the consolidated plan is scheduled for City Council consideration.

Staff invited public feedback through the city’s online Speak Up Scottsdale portal and offered translation assistance for responders. The commission did not take formal action during the hearing; staff will publish the draft for public comment and may return a draft to the commission for review before Council consideration.