The Bakersfield City Council unanimously approved the 2025–2030 Consolidated Plan, the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice and the 2025–26 Annual Action Plan during its April 23 meeting.

Jason Kader, the city's economic and community development manager, and consultant Diana Elrod presented the plan as the statutory five‑year framework for how the city would use federal HUD entitlement funds, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships, the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and HOPWA.

Elrod summarized findings: the number of lower‑income households has risen since 2020, homelessness increased 37% since 2018 and fair‑housing complaints were most commonly based on disability, race or ethnicity. She told the council the plan includes goals on affordable housing, homelessness (with behavioral‑health supports) and economic development.

Elrod told the council anticipated resources across the five years totalled on the order of $34 million, but she emphasized that final dollar amounts will be adjusted after HUD issues the cityallocation. “The proposed Strategic Plan Goals ... and the Annual Action Plan, which is money that will be coming beginning July first of this year,” she said, while noting figures in the action plan are estimates pending HUD allocations.

Council member Gonzales moved to approve the Consolidated Plan, Analysis of Impediments and Citizen Participation Plan amendments and the 2025–26 action plan. A voice vote was unanimous.

City staff said outreach for the plan included public workshops, focus groups, one‑on‑one stakeholder meetings and bilingual surveys, and that community themes were consistent across engagement: affordable housing, homelessness and economic opportunity.

The plan adds language to the citizen participation plan to account for Section 108 loans should they be used with the CDBG program, and reaffirms priorities to expand homeownership opportunities and homelessness services with behavioral‑health linkage. Staff will adjust the specific program allocations in the annual action plan once HUD provides the cityallocation and will return any necessary amendments.