DeKalb presents 2025 HUD annual action plan proposals totaling roughly $7.1M; commissioners ask for prior-year breakouts

DeKalb County Community Development staff presented a draft 2025 annual action plan to the PECS committee for HUD-funded programs — Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) and the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) — proposing a combined allocation of approximately $7.1 million.

Director Allen Mitchell said the figures presented are placeholders from HUD Atlanta staff and not final congressional appropriation amounts. He told commissioners any line item above $100,000 will be brought back to the full Board of Commissioners for specific approval, and that the county’s consolidated five-year plan covers affordable housing, suitable living environments and expanded economic opportunity for low- and moderate-income persons.

Planning manager Bronwyn Camp reviewed recommended funding categories and candidate projects the department vetted after public outreach and an application process that began in March. Staff recommended funding for public facilities and improvements (ADA upgrades at the DeKalb Senior Center and Malouf Annex ramp work), sidewalk projects in Lithonia and Stonecrest, historic Bruce Street renovation work, public services capped by HUD at 15% of CDBG funds, housing repair and demolition, community development administration (capped at 20%), HOME-funded affordable housing development (including senior housing on Sam Street), and a $403,000 ESG allocation for emergency shelter and rapid rehousing.

Camp noted the application process included technical-assistance workshops, two public hearings and published notices. Commissioners pressed staff for detail on homelessness services and the county’s response for children and families living in motels or temporary housing. Director Mitchell and staff said the formal annual action-plan submission to HUD includes a narrative and program-level contracts; they said homelessness initiatives prioritize households with children and that many service contracts require direct-benefit reporting by age group and ZIP code.

Commissioner Long Spears asked staff to provide detailed 2024 budget actuals for agencies receiving HUD funds, including the number of adults, children and seniors served under each award. Staff agreed to deliver agency-level prior-year spending and direct-benefit counts before the full board vote. The committee approved the action item on the condition the requested information is supplied to commissioners.

Why it matters: HUD block grants are a major federal funding source for local affordable-housing, homelessness response, public facilities and public services; allocations determine which nonprofits and local projects will receive federal funds through DeKalb County.

What’s next: Staff will provide prior-year budget actuals and beneficiary counts for each proposed award; the annual action plan will be submitted to HUD by the statutory deadline after final funding amounts are confirmed.