City opens public hearing on 2025–2029 CDBG consolidated plan; 2025 annual action plan outlines $667,000 in proposed investments

The City of Bloomington opened a public hearing on the 2025–2029 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) consolidated plan and the draft 2025 annual action plan, outlining proposed uses of estimated CDBG funds and next steps for public comment and HUD submission.

Melissa Hahn, director of Community Impact and Enhancement, and William Bessler, grants manager, presented the outreach process and funding priorities. Staff said the planning process produced 1,408 survey responses (an 82% increase over the last consolidated plan), 23 community events, a virtual public forum and seven stakeholder focus groups.

Proposed goals for 2025–2029 include preservation of existing affordable housing, elimination of slum and blight, public service support, public facility and infrastructure improvements, and effective program administration. For program year 2025 (May 1, 2025–April 30, 2026) staff presented the draft annual action plan with the following allocations (figures staff described as estimates pending HUD’s final allocation):

- Preservation of affordable housing: $333,000 (homeowner housing assistance and rehabilitation service delivery). - Elimination of slum and blight: $35,000 (residential demolitions; staff estimated this would fund about one or two demolitions and noted other funding sources such as IDA are also used). - Public services cap (total $84,000); recommended awards: Home Sweet Home Ministries — unhoused street outreach, $34,000; West Bloomington Revitalization Project — community operations, $18,000; KTB Financial — financial services, $32,000. - Public facility and infrastructure: staff listed City of Bloomington Public Works improvements (South Central sidewalk improvements around Woodhill Towers) at approximately $95,500, Mid Central Community Action public facility improvements at $29,500, and an additional City-allocated item of $25,000 noted in presentation. - Program administration and related activities: $90,000 (including Prairie State Legal — Fair Housing, $17,000; Bloomington Housing Authority Section 3 training, $9,000; McLean County Regional Planning Commission — housing and community planning, $37,000; and $27,000 for general program administration).

Staff described the draft’s estimated revenue as including an anticipated HUD allocation (presented as roughly $560,000 estimate), program income of about $51,000 and prior-year resources near $55,000, producing the draft program-year total the city used for initial allocations ($667,000 was referenced as total community investment in presentation). Hahn and Bessler emphasized these figures will be adjusted after HUD releases the final allocation amount.

Councilmembers asked for clarifications on several items: the Home Sweet Home Ministries street outreach program (staff said the award would support outreach to people experiencing homelessness to connect them with community resources); the geographic priority areas shown on the plan’s map (staff said the preservation area and the regeneration area are taken from the city’s comprehensive plan and include parts of South Central Bloomington); how many demolitions $35,000 would cover (staff estimated one or two homes); and why developers were invited to apply for infrastructure funding (staff said the amounts are small relative to private development costs but could fill narrow funding gaps for smaller developers or community-based developers).

The public comment period for the draft plan is open through Feb. 23, staff said; the plan will be adjusted after HUD issues the final allocation and then returned to council for consideration and submission to HUD. Staff named William Bessler and grant specialist Joanie Girard as contacts for public comments.

The hearing opened at about 6:20 p.m. and was closed at about 6:36 p.m. No members of the public requested to speak in person at the hearing; one email comment from Janet Dosen had been provided to council.