Westland council hears public input on $1.3 million HUD grants; Norway neighborhood requests larger share

The Westland City Council held a public hearing April 21 on the city’s draft Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) 2025–26 annual plan and heard more than a dozen residents and nonprofit representatives press for funds for neighborhood programs and infrastructure.

Joanne Campbell, the city’s director of community development, told the council the city is estimating $1,011,372 in CDBG and $286,930 in HOME funds for the coming fiscal year but cautioned the amounts are estimates until HUD issues final allocations. “HUD regulations require the city to receive citizen input on the use of these funds,” Campbell said, and the council will adopt a final budget on May 5 before the city submits its application to HUD.

The administration’s draft spending plan includes homeowner rehabilitation, down-payment assistance for first-time buyers, affordable housing development, public services for seniors and disadvantaged youth, homeless services, neighborhood services, Jefferson Barnes and Friendship Center improvements, Norway infrastructure and parks, and historic preservation. Campbell said federal rules restrict expenditures to qualifying populations such as low- and moderate-income households, seniors, disadvantaged youth and people experiencing homelessness.

Several speakers from the Norwayne neighborhood asked the council to prioritize neighborhood infrastructure and neighborhood-based programs when the council finalizes allocations. Christina Worm, chair of the Norwayne Community Citizens Council, described four major annual events the council runs—Family Prom, Back-to-School Bash, Harvest Fest and the holiday tree lighting—and asked the council to secure $26,000 in CDBG public‑service funding for the group. “These events matter. They create belonging, they lift spirits and they remind us that joy should never be a privilege,” Worm said.

Other residents and nonprofit leaders, including Annette Cutnick of the Norwayne Citizens Council and Dolores Flowers of the Family Beware Community Center, described summer camps, youth programming and community gardens that rely on public‑service grants. Residents also asked for clarification about line‑item budget amounts Campbell had earlier discussed in the consent calendar and whether unspent CDBG dollars could be moved to the general fund. Campbell answered that CDBG and HOME funds are distinct from the general fund and cannot be moved into it, and she confirmed the administration’s recommendation to drop the city’s 1‑for‑1 matching requirement for public‑service recipients; that change is planned to be included in the funding resolution the administration will present on May 5.

Several speakers pressed for more transparency on how line‑item balances will be used. Campbell said the administration has indicated there are “additional funds” for Norway infrastructure and Jefferson Barnes improvements but that specific projects have not yet been bid and that council approval is required before funds are reallocated. “We have some ideas, but nothing is set in stone until city council approves those projects,” Campbell said.

Community development staff told the council nine non‑profit applicants requested public‑service funding and the total requests exceeded the maximum the city may allocate to public services under HUD rules by about $53,000. Campbell said the administration’s recommendations aim to fund all nine applicants, with award sizes based on the number of people served.

Several speakers, including longtime Norway residents and volunteers, emphasized infrastructure problems—deteriorated ditches, culverts and sidewalks—and asked that an unclear $50,000‑plus balance shown in the consent calendar be applied to infrastructure rather than parking-lot or other projects. “We need our ditches and culverts done,” Christina Worm said. Campbell replied that the city has additional funds earmarked for Norway infrastructure and that city staff will move forward with culvert work as projects and bids are developed.

The public hearing closed after the council took public comment and later voted to close the hearing; Campbell said council action to approve the CDBG/HOME projects and budgets is scheduled for the council’s May 5 meeting.

Why this matters: CDBG and HOME dollars are federal funds with strict eligibility rules; allocation decisions determine which neighborhoods and programs receive dedicated federal support for housing, infrastructure and services. Residents from target neighborhoods told the council they want clearer, faster spending on neighborhood infrastructure and public‑service programming.

Campbell encouraged residents to call her office or view the housing and development pages on the city website for further details and to arrange follow‑up conversations about specific projects.

Looking ahead: The council will consider adoption of the CDBG and HOME project budgets on May 5 and the administration will propose removing the 1‑for‑1 match requirement for public‑service applicants as part of that resolution.