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City presents draft 2025–2030 HUD consolidated plan; residents flag affordable housing as top need
Summary
City staff described outreach and draft goals for the HUD-required five-year consolidated plan; affordable housing and homelessness prevention were the most-cited priorities in surveys and workshops.
City staff presented an update on Bakersfield’s draft 2025–2030 Consolidated Plan, saying the document will guide how federal HUD funds are used and reflecting community input that prioritized affordable housing, homelessness services and economic development.
Director Byers (identified in the meeting as Director Byers) told the council the consolidated plan is a HUD requirement for entitlement cities and covers CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA funding streams. Staff said outreach included three community workshops, meetings with 17 partner organizations, one-on-one stakeholder interviews and nearly 500 survey responses in English and Spanish.
Byers said the draft proposes goals to increase affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, prevent and reduce homelessness with attention to mental and behavioral health support, improve community infrastructure (such as sidewalks and Safe Routes to School), and expand services for children, seniors and people with disabilities. She told council the city anticipates roughly $34 million in HUD funding over the five-year period based on current-year levels, while noting annual HUD allocations fluctuate.
Councilmembers asked staff how representative the outreach sample was and whether the city could increase participation. Director Byers and others said the outreach effort included ZIP-code and age questions and that the east side of the city responded at higher rates; staff said they will continue using social media, press, and community partners to expand engagement.
Councilmembers also discussed policy levers to encourage more affordable development, including streamlining permits and supporting smaller-lot and smaller-home construction. Councilmember Smith said the city should “encourage the development community to build smaller, more affordable housing.” Councilmember Gonzales recommended door-to-door outreach (a promotora-like strategy) and closer coordination among city departments to improve participation.
Vice Mayor Kaur moved to receive and file the report; the motion passed with Councilmember Weir absent.
Staff noted HUD’s timing on final allocations can delay formal submission of the action plan to HUD; the city expects to submit the consolidated plan to HUD after notification of the current-year allocation, likely in May or June 2025.
