Michael Dionne, executive director of the Fall River Community Development Agency, opened a public hearing on the City of Fall River’s proposed five-year consolidated plan and the first-year annual action plan, which will guide how federal HUD funds are used beginning July 1, 2025.

The hearing provided residents and stakeholders an opportunity to comment on housing and community development needs, needs of people experiencing homelessness, strategies to further fair housing, and proposed activities for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds. Dionne said the expiring consolidated plan was adopted in 2020 and that the five-year cycle will conclude June 30, 2025. He outlined the timetable: a summary of the draft plans will be published February 26, 2025; a second public hearing is scheduled for March 12, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.; written comments will be accepted through March 31, 2025; the city council is slated to receive plan materials by April 2025 and to consider a resolution authorizing Mayor Paul E. Coogan to file the plans with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development around May 7, 2025.

Dionne provided the agency’s current funding estimates for the upcoming program year as stated in the hearing: approximately $2,584,000 for CDBG activities, $1,100,000 for HOME activities (transcript read "1,000,000 100,000"), and $231,000 for ESG activities. He said those figures assume level funding and that detailed funding descriptions and full draft plans will be made available at the Fall River Community Development Agency office, the city clerk’s office, the main public library and on the municipal website.

Speakers representing local service providers described needs and submitted funding requests to be considered in the annual action plan. Megan Sturck, president and CEO of People Incorporated, requested $35,000 in fiscal-year 2026 CDBG funds to continue full-time early childhood behavioral and clinical support specialists at People Incorporated’s preschool. Sturck said those specialists design individualized behavior-support plans, coordinate with Fall River Public Schools, the Department of Children and Families and pediatricians, and engage caregivers to address trauma and developmental needs.

"People Incorporated is requesting $35,000 of fiscal year 26 CDBG funding to continue the services of full time early childhood behavioral and clinical support specialists," Sturck said.

Grace Garland, executive director of Greater Fall River Recreation Committee Inc., asked for continued CDBG support for the recreation center’s programs. Garland described a newly furnished community kitchen at the old courthouse used for culinary education, said the agency runs roughly 100 direct-service programs and 30 special events annually, and reported providing more than 75,000 meals to youth during the summer. She said about 1,586 participants used Recreation services last year and that approximately 87% met HUD income guidelines for low-income families; Garland did not specify a dollar request in her remarks.

Stephanie Mancini, senior executive director for YMCA Southcoast overseeing Fall River and Swansea, requested $25,000 to support the YMCA’s Education Achievement Center inside its childcare and after-school program. Mancini described the YMCA’s capacity to serve up to about 169 students during the school year and programming that includes STEAM enrichment and free YMCA family memberships for enrolled children.

Rosa Medeiros, director of homeless services and peer services at Stepping Stone, described steep increases in local shelter demand and asked for level funding of $54,000 to continue emergency shelter operations. Medeiros said daily calls for shelter had tripled in the past year and described the organization’s efforts to expand beds and use temporary motel placements in severe weather.

"HUD's emergency solution funds are vital to bridge our homeless population from homelessness to self sufficiency," Medeiros said.

Jeffrey Bacon, Fall River fire chief, told the hearing that prior CDA funds have helped the department purchase apparatus and equipment and asked for approximately $100,000 to buy updated equipment, tools and technology to improve firefighter safety and operational efficiency. Bacon said his non-personnel operational budget covers fuel, repairs and utilities and that aging equipment—some 20 to 25 years old—needs replacement or upgrades.

Dionne closed the hearing after calling for any additional speakers, reminded attendees that funding request forms are due in his office by Jan. 22, 2025, and said copies of the application are available at the sign-in table and on the city’s website.

Why it matters: the consolidated plan and year-1 action plan set the City of Fall River’s priorities for federal housing and community development funding and determine which local programs receive CDBG, HOME and ESG awards. The public-comment process and the city council’s subsequent resolution will shape how an estimated multi-million dollar federal allocation is spent in the coming program year.