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Citizen Advisory Council recommends $332,000 in estimated CDBG allocations for 2025; council schedules hearing
Summary
The City's Citizen Advisory Council presented draft recommendations for the city's anticipated 2025 CDBG allocation (about $332,000), proposing funds for public services, shelter renovations, housing authority repairs and program administration; council set an April 1 hearing to consider final awards after HUD confirms the entitlement amount.
The Citizen Advisory Council presented its recommended distribution of the city's tentative 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement during Wednesday's City Council meeting, asking elected officials to hold a public hearing on the allocations on April 1.
Brian Schroeder, chair of the Citizens Advisory Council, told council members the committee conducted two public hearings and several meetings to review approximately $727,000 in applicant requests against an estimated city entitlement of about $332,000. Schroeder emphasized that the amounts shown were estimates: the committee recommended proportional adjustments if HUD awards a different final entitlement.
The committee recommended public service funding of: $15,000 to CAPTAIN Community Human Services for street outreach; $18,000 to Wellspring for a staff advocate serving survivors of domestic violence; and $10,000 to the Salvation Army for emergency rent and utility assistance. For bricks-and-mortar or capital projects the committee recommended: $85,404 to the Saratoga Springs Housing Authority for replacement of aging heating units at Jefferson Terrace; $7,896 to Franklin Community Center for a boiler replacement; $25,000 to AIM Services for Hawthorne Boulevard renovations; $10,700 to Mother Susan Anderson (Soul Saving Station) for ceiling repairs to abate mold; $25,000 to Wellspring for shelter renovations; and $1,000 to Rebuilding Together Saratoga County for critical home repairs. The committee also recommended $35,000 for Community Development program administration.
Schroeder said the committee prioritizes housing and home-repair activities when possible and that the recommended awards reflect available funding limits, including the CDBG rule that caps public service spending at 15% of the total allocation. He said the committee would adjust recommended totals proportionally if HUD's final entitlement differs from the estimate.
Council members asked clarifying questions about the selection process, how the committee weighed partial awards, and specific line items such as Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Wellspring shelter renovations. Schroeder and other committee members explained that the committee had grouped requests, sought to honor long-standing projects where feasible, and reserved a small buffer for renovation contingency costs.
Why it matters: The CDBG awards fund shelter services, housing repairs and emergency assistance for low- and moderate-income residents. The city will finalize allocations after HUD announces the actual entitlement amount and after the April 1 public hearing that will allow additional public comment and a council vote on the final awards.
Next steps: The council will hold the April 1 public hearing on the Citizen Advisory Council recommendations and then adopt final allocations after adjusting for HUD's confirmed entitlement.
