Anoka County HRA approves five CDBG‑CV amendments totaling up to $566,500 to spend remaining COVID funds

The Anoka County Housing and Redevelopment Authority Board on Jan. 28 approved five substantial amendments to the county’s portion of the Dakota County consortium 2019 action plan to allocate up to $566,500 in Community Development Block Grant – COVID (CDBG‑CV) funds. The board opened a public hearing, heard staff explanations, took no public testimony and voted on each project separately.

Renee Sandy, community development manager, told the board the amendments would commit the remaining CDBG‑CV funds to five projects and that the funds must be expended and drawn down from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by May 2026. “There are five separate projects that are we should use up our remaining CDBG‑CV funds,” Sandy said at the hearing. The public hearing record showed no written or oral comments.

The projects approved are: up to $26,500 to Alexander House, Inc., for hoteling costs to house shelter clients during room overflows; up to $70,000 to the city of Blaine (about $60,000 for the activity plus $10,000 estimated Davis‑Bacon consultant costs) for installation of heat tape on water lines in…