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DeSoto holds public hearing on HUD CDBG consolidated plan; residents press for sidewalks and infrastructure
Summary
City consultant presented the draft FY2025–2029 consolidated plan and FY2025 action plan; staff recommended continuing home repair, closing a senior center funding gap and maintaining transportation assistance while residents urged sidewalk and street work.
The City Council held a public hearing July 15 to receive input on DeSoto’s draft HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) consolidated plan for fiscal years 2025–2029 and the FY2025 action plan. Patricia Santa Cruz of Grow America presented the plan and the public offered feedback focused on sidewalks, streets and the senior center.
Santa Cruz said DeSoto’s CDBG entitlement for 2025 is $271,460, a slight decrease from 2024, and reviewed allowable uses: housing rehabilitation, public services, planning/administration (up to 20 percent) and infrastructure projects that primarily benefit households earning less than 80 percent of area median income (AMI). She said the city received 191 resident survey responses and held 10 stakeholder meetings; the top priorities were street and sidewalk improvements, housing rehabilitation and public services.
Staff recommended the continuation of the home repair program at $110,000 (up to $10,000 per qualifying homeowner), $90,000 to close a funding gap for senior center renovations (bringing total CDBG support to $340,000 for that project), continuation of transportation assistance and $50,000 for administration (about 18 percent of the allocation). Santa Cruz said that qualifying projects must primarily benefit low- and moderate-income households or be located in qualifying census tracts.
Several residents questioned the proposed allocations. Kaye Brown Patrick said the same set of activities has repeatedly appeared in the budget packages, and noted that home repair at $110,000 would serve only about 10 homeowners while sidewalk or street projects could reach many more residents. Nicole Rafael asked for clarification about the transportation assistance program, specifically whether trips are limited to DeSoto and how the program is administered; staff said the city moved from a taxi contract to partnering with STAR Transit to lower per-trip cost and serve more riders, and that most trips are for local essential services such as medical appointments and grocery shopping.
Mayor Pro Tem Crystal Chisholm and staff emphasized that the draft is a recommendation and not an adopted plan. Staff said a final consolidated plan and action plan will be returned to council for adoption on Aug. 5 and that additional adjustments to funding priorities could be made before adoption. Public comment was received and recorded; council opened and closed the hearing at the meeting and took no final action on the plan that night.
