Toledo holds final public hearing on 2025–2029 Consolidated Plan; priorities: affordable housing, blight removal, infrastructure

Brian Hull, president of CEW Advisors, presented the City of Toledo’s draft 2025–2029 Consolidated Plan at the third and final public hearing, summarizing community-identified priorities and the funding the city expects from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The Consolidated Plan “is a framework for understanding what the housing, homelessness, and community development needs are in the city, and it helps the city think about allocating resources to meet those needs,” Hull said. The plan’s first-year Annual Action Plan and a draft strategic plan are posted on the city’s housing and community development webpage; public written comments must be received by May 23.

Why it matters: The Consolidated Plan sets the city’s priorities that guide allocation of federal HUD entitlement funds. CEW Advisors estimates Toledo will receive about $47.3 million total over the five-year period (roughly $9.7 million annually, subject to federal appropriations). The plan ties community engagement, data analysis and local priorities to recommended uses of three primary HUD funding streams: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG).

Key findings and priorities

- Community process: CEW Advisors reported an outreach process that included dozens of interviews, 11 community meetings, focus groups and an online survey that drew nearly 600 responses. That research informed the plan’s needs assessment and priority-setting.

- Demographics and housing stock: Hull said Toledo’s population is about 268,000 with roughly 118,000 households and about 33,000 housing units. The city has experienced long-term population decline; single-person households have grown while larger family household sizes have fallen. Hull noted a substantial rise in the 65–74 age group, which increased about 51% from 2010 to 2023.

- Cost burden and lead risk: Housing cost burden was the dominant problem identified across meetings; CEW reported roughly 32,000 households (renters and owners) are cost burdened or severely cost burdened. The consultant also estimated 14,840 households contain both lead hazards and children under age 6.

- Vacancy and blight: Vacancy in the city is near 12 percent. Hull described an ongoing municipal demolition program to address blight and to prepare lots for potential new construction and infill development.

- Priority needs: Affordable rental and ownership housing (including down-payment assistance and home-repair programs), homelessness interventions and supportive housing, public services (health, mental-health, child care, workforce and financial literacy), infrastructure and accessibility improvements (streets, sidewalks, stormwater, curb cuts), public facilities (senior centers, schools, childcare and grocery access), and targeted economic development and small-business support.

Funding overview provided in the presentation

- CDBG: CEW identified CDBG as the largest and most flexible funding source; the consultant projected approximately $7.0 million next year and about $35.0 million across five years for CDBG-eligible activities including affordable housing, infrastructure and public services.

- HOME: HOME investments were projected at roughly $1.9 million for the coming year and about $9.2 million over five years; HOME is focused on affordable housing development, rehabilitation, acquisition and homeownership assistance.

- ESG: Emergency Solutions Grant funding was estimated at about $650,000 annually and roughly $3.3 million across five years for homelessness response activities.

Public comment and local responses

Monica Brown, the city’s Community Planning and Development Grants Manager, opened the hearing and noted the draft strategic plan is posted online and that the city will respond to submitted comments and incorporate them into the final Consolidated Plan prior to submission to HUD.

During public comment, several attendees urged local policy changes. Glenn Ryan, a precinct committee member with the Lucas County Democratic Party and a housing advocate, suggested income-indexed rents and modular infill development to stabilize households: “If you do that, you’ve just solved housing vouchers. You just solved people who are low income.” Tom Naims, a West Toledo resident and candidate for Toledo City Council, urged stronger emphasis on homeownership and cautioned against concentrated rental development, saying he feared that large rental portfolios “are the future slums of Toledo” if residents lack long-term investment in neighborhoods.

Next steps and limitations

CEW’s draft strategic plan and the first-year action plan remain subject to public comment and final adjustment. Hull noted the city had not yet received its official HUD allocations at the time of the hearing; allocations are determined by federal appropriations and were expected in mid-May. Final plan submission to HUD is scheduled after the public comment period and internal revisions.

The public may submit written comments by email to neighborhoodstoledo@toledo.oh.gov or by mail to City of Toledo, Department of Housing and Community Development, 1 Government Center, Suite 1800, Toledo, OH 43604. Comments must be received by May 23 to be included in the current Consolidated Plan process.