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West Des Moines staff open public consultation on next five‑year CDBG consolidated plan amid federal funding uncertainty
Summary
City staff briefed council on the Community Development Block Grant consolidated‑plan process, eligibility limits and timeline; councilmembers recommended focusing on housing rehabilitation, transit passes and infrastructure that benefits many residents while noting uncertainty about federal funding and statutory caps on public‑service spending.
City staff presented the planning timeline and priorities for the next five‑year Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) consolidated plan during a workshop after the Feb. 3 West Des Moines City Council meeting.
Ryan Moffitt, community and economic development director, and Christine Gordon, housing manager, told the council the consolidated plan guides how the city would use an annual CDBG allocation (an average of roughly $265,000 in recent years) and sets community priorities for a five‑year period. Gordon outlined program rules: households must generally be at or below 80% of area median income to qualify for CDBG‑funded benefits; no more than 20% of an allocation can be used for administration, and generally no more than 15% can be used for public‑service activities.
Gordon summarized the city’s two decades of CDBG activity, saying West Des Moines has received about $6 million in total CDBG funding since 2005 and uses the money for programs including transit passes, homeless prevention, owner‑occupied rehabilitation, land acquisition and targeted infrastructure projects. She emphasized federal regulatory steps such as environmental review, Davis‑Bacon wage requirements and Build America/Buy America procurement elements that apply to certain projects.
Council feedback and discussion
Council members acknowledged significant federal funding uncertainty but supported proceeding with outreach and planning. Council members suggested priorities the city should consider if funding continues: targeting the “missing middle” of owner‑occupied attached housing, expanding rental or mortgage assistance programs, continued support for transit passes (noting DART usage to access jobs and services), and infrastructure projects that reach many low‑ and moderate‑income residents (for example, stormwater work in lower‑income census tracts).
Council members and staff also flagged program limits: CDBG cannot fund new above‑ground housing construction (it may fund land acquisition or below‑ground work and housing rehabilitation), and a statutory cap limits public‑service spending to 15% of the annual allocation (a constraint that limited past homeless‑prevention spending outside COVID‑era flexibility).
Process and timeline
Staff said the city will hold a series of consultation meetings with housing, social‑service, school and community stakeholders and run a public comment period before formally adopting the consolidated plan. The city must submit a plan to HUD by Aug. 16 under statutory deadlines; staff said their goal is to align plan adoption with the July 1 fiscal year start if possible but that HUD’s allocation timing can influence the exact schedule.
Why this matters: CDBG funds are modest compared with overall municipal budgets but are targeted at low‑ and moderate‑income households and can fund services and capital work that improve housing, access to transit and neighborhood infrastructure. Council members urged staff to continue public outreach so a consolidated plan is ready if and when federal funding is confirmed.
Ending: Staff will host additional stakeholder consultations and return to the council with a draft consolidated plan for public comment and final action later in the adoption timeline.
