Corvallis Council approves FY25–26 CDBG and HOME annual action plan

The Corvallis City Council unanimously approved the city's fiscal year 2025'26 annual action plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds, authorizing the mayor and city manager to execute documents needed to implement the plan.

The plan, presented by the city's housing grants coordinator, lays out proposed federal awards from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: $581,812 for CDBG and $343,303.22 for HOME for the coming year, plus the use of previously unspent allocations. "This funding is provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and is used to support affordable housing construction, acquisition or rehabilitation, public facility and infrastructure development, and social service funding," the coordinator told the council during the public hearing.

The draft action plan directs CDBG operating support to three top-scoring human service requests: Jackson Street Youth Services for shelter staffing expansion, Corvallis Daytime Drop-In Center for expanded street outreach, and continued support for South Corvallis Food Bank's emergency food boxes. On the capital side, staff proposed two park-related activities: replacing gravel accessible parking pads at the Avery Park ADA playground with concrete and exploring the viability of installing a restroom in Central Park, with environmental protections and sewer/water connections as constraints.

HOME funds were proposed primarily for tenant-based rental assistance administered in partnership with Benton County, and staff said they planned to restart the homeowner repair loan program that had been paused. "We are gonna get it up and running again," the grants coordinator said of the repair loan program, noting the city also intends to certify and support community housing development organizations if interested nonprofit partners emerge.

During council questions, Councilor Napak asked for more detail about the Central Park restroom proposal; staff said the idea remains contingent on environmental review and the ability to connect to sewer and water lines. After public testimony closed with no drop-in commenters, Councilor Ellis moved approval of the action plan and authorization for the mayor and city manager to sign implementing documents; the motion passed unanimously.

The city's public comment period on the draft action plan remains open through June 28, and staff provided an email address for written input.