Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Cdbg Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Jamestown housing committee warns of HUD staffing cuts and potential CDBG funding delays
Summary
Committee members and staff told the council May 12 that regional HUD staffing cuts could delay Community Development Block Grant funding and that the city is preparing outreach and alternatives including smaller-footprint housing strategies and developer engagement.
Jamestown's housing committee briefed the City Council on May 12 about a potential loss of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and other impacts after large staffing reductions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Billy, presenting the housing update, said staff and committee members have been in contact with HUD's Buffalo office and regional representatives and warned "there's a probability of us losing some of that money," noting the local CDBG program underpins several city housing functions. He asked the council to be prepared to support outreach efforts.
Housing committee participants said HUD staffing in the Upstate region is being sharply reduced. Committee member Chris said the reduction is large: "84% of HUD staffing nationwide is being let go," he said, and that the local Upstate regional office is being reduced from about 200 employees to six. Committee members said that will slow application processing and program support for projects in the region.
The committee also described local efforts to sustain housing supply. Staff and council members discussed promoting smaller-footprint homes (often called "smaller square-footage homes," distinct from the building-code definition of "tiny homes") as one option that might require zoning variances. The committee reported a recent developer forum with more than 100 attendees, including bankers, architects and developers, and said attendees reacted positively to neighborhood walking tours and a trolley tour that highlighted available properties.
Committee staff said they will provide boilerplate letters for council members and residents to send to federal representatives and HUD offices to express local concerns about staffing and funding. The committee recommended continued developer outreach and said it will update the council as federal and regional HUD responses arrive.
No formal council action was recorded on CDBG funding at the May 12 work session; the discussion was recorded as a committee update and staff was directed to prepare outreach materials.
