Bowie presents FY2026 annual action plan emphasizing housing, workforce and fair-housing outreach

Kaye Star, the City of Bowie's grant writer, presented the city's annual action plan for fiscal year 2026 during a virtual public meeting on March 12, describing projects to be funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the local public-comment schedule ahead of a City Council vote in May.

Star said the plan focuses on housing rehabilitation, expanded workforce services and fair-housing education. "The single family housing program is part of our 5 year strategy," she told attendees, adding the program provides "a grant of $10,000 to city of Bowie homeowners to make energy and food efficient improvements to their home." Star also outlined plans to open a local job center at the Kenhill Center and to host a fair-housing symposium in April.

The AAP is part of Bowie's five-year consolidated planning cycle under HUD. Star said the city's CDBG program targets lower- and moderate-income residents and funds eligible activities such as acquisition, rehabilitation, public services and workforce development. The city has administered a CDBG program since 2006 and supplements HUD funds with other grants, she said.

Single-family rehab grants: Star described the single-family rehab grants as $10,000 awards to Bowie homeowners focused on energy-efficiency improvements, including roof repairs, insulation, window and door replacement and energy-efficient appliances. Eligibility is determined by HUD annual income limits; Star said the city will update income thresholds and noted household-size limits apply. The program began as a pilot for seniors and has since expanded citywide.

Workforce development and job center: The city plans to continue spring youth career programs and to expand regular workforce programming through a new job center to be located at the Kenhill Center. Star said Bowie will join the American Job Center Community Network (AJCCN) and work with Employ Prince George's to connect residents to employers and training resources.

Fair-housing education: Star announced a fair-housing symposium in April timed to HUD's Fair Housing Month, which commemorates the 1968 Fair Housing Act. The city will provide information about residents' rights, enforcement options at the county, state and federal levels, and how to report possible violations.

Past and related grants: Star reviewed recent and ongoing grant-funded projects Bowie has managed, citing an EPA-funded pipe-replacement grant, Prince George's County funds for improvements around the Maryland Railroad Museum and Tenth Street Park, Department of Energy block-grant awards for energy-efficiency work, and planned HUD-funded improvements to Allen Pond Park. She said the city has used CARES Act funds for emergency food and rental assistance during the COVID response and continues to coordinate with the Bowie Emergency Aid Fund and the local food pantry at the Kenhill Center.

Public participation and timeline: Star said this March 12 meeting was the first of two public hearings on the draft annual action plan; the second hearing is scheduled for April 2 at 7 p.m., also via Teams. A public-comment period on the draft will run from April 9 to May 9, with hard copies available at the Kenhill Center, the Bowie Gym senior center and City Hall front desk. Star said the City Council will hold a final public hearing and is scheduled to vote to adopt the annual action plan on May 19; the city intends to submit the adopted AAP to HUD before the end of May. "We will incorporate any public comments we get during that period into the final draft," Star said.

How to comment and where to find documents: Star said documents including the consolidated plan, the annual action plan (AAP) and past CAPERs are available online and that residents may submit comments by mail or email. The city's grants page and the AAP page are available at cityofbowie.org/grants and cityofbowie.org/aap. Star provided a mailing address for written comments and an email contact during the presentation.

No formal votes were recorded at the March 12 meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to solicit public feedback ahead of the council vote.

The city will report final performance measures in its annual CAPER at the end of the program year, including counts of households served by rehab grants, workforce participants and fair-housing events held.