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Planning officials: HUD continuum funding confirmed; Great Streets and Lock 3 event budgets increasing
Summary
Planning staff told the committee HUD’s Continuum of Care awards were confirmed at roughly $6.6 million and that final CDBG/HOME allocations will arrive after federal allocations are released; downtown event funding (Lock 3/summer concerts) is budgeted at $1.5 million for 2025 with a planned offset of $400,000 in revenue.
Planning staff updated the budget and finance committee on federal housing program timelines and local event funding plans.
Why it matters: Federal allocations for CDBG, HOME and ESG influence housing and homelessness programs. Separately, the city budget for downtown events determines what acts and scale the city can book for Lock 3 and other summer events.
Continuum of Care and HUD programs: Helen Tomic told the committee the City of Akron and participating Continuum of Care agencies received notification from HUD that their Continuum of Care application from 2024 would be funded for 2025–26, representing roughly $6.6 million spread across about 16–17 agencies and approximately 28 programs. Tomic said HUD has 60 days after Congress passes the budget to release allocations; she estimated Akron would receive formal CDBG/Home allocations around mid-May (she gave May 14 as the expected date for allocations to be released to entitlement jurisdictions after the federal budget was enacted).
Home program timing and ARPA: Staff explained that HOME program spending can draw on prior allocations and that larger year-to-year variance can reflect multi-year projects moving between phases; similarly, ARPA-funded service-contract timing and contractor availability affected 2023–24 spending patterns, producing catch-up in 2024 and a different profile for 2025.
Great Streets and Lock 3 events: Committee members asked about Great Streets and Lock 3 concert funding. Staff said lock-3 concert and summer concert management is handled under a downtown operations budget (page 205). The budgeted amount for downtown concerts in 2025 is $1.5 million — about $600,000 higher than the prior plan — with an intended $400,000 of additional revenue to offset the increase and a net city cost of roughly $200,000 more to enable booking larger acts.
What was not specified: The committee did not receive a line-itemized list of which Continuum of Care subrecipients will receive which amounts, nor full Great Streets itemization at the planning table; staff said they would provide more detailed expense reports to council members who requested them.
Next steps: Staff said they will circulate allocation notices when HUD releases them and that Great Streets coordinators are finalizing program revisions and revenue strategies for 2025.
