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Resident at public hearing criticizes HUD funds implementation and citizen participation; requests staff accountability
Summary
At a May 8 public hearing, a resident criticized the city’s handling of HUD funds and citizen participation for the Consolidated Plan process, asserting staff circumvented participation rules and alleging inequitable allocation; the hearing was closed without action.
During the May 8 public hearing on item 49 — a HUD-related funding and citizen participation discussion — Zenobia Joseph, a speaker at the podium, told council the city is receiving approximately $70 million overall from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and raised concerns about the citizen-participation process and distribution priorities.
Joseph said that, in her view, Austin Housing Department staff led by Mandy DeMeo “circumvented” citizen participation requirements when the plan went before the Community Development Commission, asserting there were no recommendations recorded and that staff unilaterally allocated 15% of public-services funding to childcare in the draft. Joseph urged the council to consider reallocating such funds toward connectivity and safety projects near Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park and locations where pedestrian improvements are lacking.
The speaker also raised equity and civil-rights concerns, saying the city’s distribution of funds “violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964” based on disparate outcomes and asked for Mandy DeMeo’s resignation. The council opened the hearing, received the public comment and closed the hearing; the item did not require immediate council action and no further action was taken at the meeting.
The city’s public record for the item includes the citizen participation plan and related backup materials; speaker concerns about process and allocation were part of the public record for council consideration as staff continue work on HUD-funded programs.
Ending: The public hearing was closed with no council action required; staff will proceed according to the established Consolidated Plan process and any future council direction.
