Vista opens 30-day comment on draft 2025–29 CDBG consolidated plan; advisory committee recommends nearly $954,000 allocation

City staff opened a 30-day public comment period on the draft 2025–29 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Plan and the 2025–26 Annual Action Plan and presented program priorities and recommended funding allocations.

Homeless services program manager Jonathan Lung told the council the consolidated plan is a five-year strategic document required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that identifies housing, homelessness and community development needs and guides use of federal CDBG funds. Management analyst Johanna Keneefe detailed the public engagement process the city used to develop the plan, saying the city held three community meetings and received surveys in English and Spanish with a combined total of 35 online responses and roughly 322 community-meeting participants.

Keneefe presented estimated program-year funding based on a preliminary allocation of $953,823 and the CDBG advisory committee’s recommendations: approximately $190,000 for program administration (including fair-housing services), $143,000 for public-service programs and about $619,000 for capital improvement projects. The advisory committee recommended subrecipient grants in the approximate amounts listed by staff: Alpha Project $10,000; Boys & Girls Club $14,500; Fraternity House $10,000; Interfaith Community Services $10,000; Mama’s Kitchen $10,000; Meals on Wheels $10,000; North County Lifeline $10,000; Operation Hope $19,000; Palomar Family Counseling Services $10,000; Senior Nutrition Program $11,500; Townspeople $10,000; Vista Community Clinic $10,000; Voices for Children $10,000.

Several nonprofit leaders and residents addressed the council in support of funding. Jessica Munoz, president and CEO of Voices for Children (the local Court Appointed Special Advocate/CASA program), thanked the city for past CDBG support and described how volunteer advocates help children in foster care. Danny Hickey, executive director of Fraternity House Inc., described Michelle House, San Diego County’s remaining residential care facility for chronically ill people living with HIV/AIDS, and asked the council to continue support for operations at the Vista facility.

Council discussion noted the competitive application process and the advisory committee’s role; staff confirmed that every applicant that applied is recommended for funding under the current estimated allocation and that, if the final HUD allocation is lower than estimated, the advisory committee prioritized recipients and would reduce funding beginning with the lowest-scoring applicant. Council members moved to close the public hearing, open the required 30-day public-review period and return in May to adopt final plans; the transcript indicates the item was approved unanimously.

Ending: Staff will publish the draft plans for a 30-day public comment period and return to council at its May meeting to consider adoption of the consolidated plan and the annual action plan after taking public input into account.