Board hears plan and funding timeline for neighborhood housing strategy; members press for staffing and sustainable funding

City staff and a consulting team updated the Housing Strategies Corporation board on implementation steps for a multineighborhood housing strategy and a related urban renewal plan amendment, and described near-term funding flows the board will need to manage.

Michelle (staff member) and Charles (consultant) briefed the board on two pieces of legislation the city will request from the Common Council: adoption of a second urban renewal plan for the SIRRA Urban Renewal Agency and a waiver of the city’s request-for-proposal process so the city can transfer budgeted funds to the urban renewal agency to be managed and administered by the Housing Strategies Corporation. Staff said the council was expected to consider the legislation in the May 12 or a coming vote cycle and that timely approval was needed for the city to move budgeted fiscal-year 2024–25 funds out of the city’s accounts before the fiscal-year deadline.

Discussion focused on money and capacity. The board was told the…