Chester holds public hearing on draft 2025 consolidated plan; estimates $1.25M CDBG, $340K HOME budgets

City staff held a public hearing March 11, 2025, on the draft 2025 consolidated plan and the draft 2025 action plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funding, presenting estimated allocations of $1,250,000 for CDBG and $340,000 for HOME and inviting public comment.

The hearing was convened to give citizens and interested parties an opportunity to comment on the draft documents, which were published for public display starting March 3, 2025, and will remain available through April 4, 2025. City staff said the City Council is scheduled to consider the consolidated plan and action plan at its regular meeting on May 14, 2025, and that submission of the final plans is projected for about May 30, 2025, contingent on notification by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of the city's final allocation amounts.

City staff said HUD Secretary Scott Turner terminated the 2021 affirmatively furthering fair housing final rule on Feb. 26, 2025, and that the city will not present an analysis of impediments to fair housing choice at this time. "As a CDBG and HOME grantee, the city of Chester must continue to affirmatively further fair housing as and to the extent required by the Fair Housing Act," the City staff member said, adding the city will await further HUD guidance and later present its plan to meet the Fair Housing Act requirements.

The draft action plan lists proposed CDBG-funded projects and amounts, including: senior community services ($20,000); Wesley House Community Corp. shelter operations ($40,000); domestic abuse counseling and legal advocacy ($20,000); Salvation Army Chester Corps homeless services ($15,000); Chester Community Improvement Project (pre-purchase counseling) ($20,000); Boys & Girls Club of Chester after-school programs ($10,000); Entrepreneurial Works Fund micro-enterprise technical assistance ($10,000); Making a Change Group Connected Families program ($10,000); Chester Education Foundation Resource Hub ($10,000); Foundation for Delaware County Homeless Prevention ($10,000); Chester Eastside Inc. after-school programs ($10,000); Trinity Transition House homeless services ($10,000); Chester Fire Department truck payment (described in the draft as "5 of 7; dollars 105100 and 20 7 dollars" in the hearing transcript; amount as read in the hearing is ambiguous); infrastructure improvements including streets, inlets, sidewalks and ADA improvements ($250,000); parks and recreation ($100,000); fire department equipment, vehicle and supplies ($150,000); Boys & Girls Club restroom renovations ($58,000); scattered site demolition ($150,000); contingencies ($18.73); and administrative and planning ($250,000), for a total CDBG budget of $1,250,000 as estimated by staff.

Staff explained the city used estimated allocation amounts when preparing the draft action plan and said adjustments will be made to budgets after HUD releases final allocations. Staff said if the city's final CDBG allocation is higher than estimated the city will increase infrastructure improvements and administration/planning line items to meet administrative cap rules; if funding is less, the city will reduce infrastructure improvements, public services activities and administration/planning proportionally as necessary to meet the 15% public service cap and the 20% administration cap.

For the HOME program, staff presented the draft line items: Chester Community Improvement Project (CHDO) operating expenses ($17,000); CHDO set-aside for affordable housing ($51,000); single-family affordable housing initiative ($138,000); Silvercare senior housing phase 2 ($100,000); and planning and administration ($34,000), totaling $340,000 in estimated HOME funds. Staff noted that if the HOME allocation changes, line items will be increased or decreased within HUD-allowed percentages (CHDO operating to 5% of allocation, CHDO set-aside to minimum 15%, and single-family and administration to the allowed 10% of allocation), per the draft plan as presented.

During public comment, one resident asked about the certainty of receiving the estimated funds, saying, "what confidence do we have that we're even going to receive this money?" The resident added staff and the public should be prepared "as if we're going to get funded," and city staff confirmed that no money should be spent until funds are actually received and that comments received at the hearing will be forwarded to appropriate parties for review.

The hearing record notes the notice of public display and the public hearing was published in the Delaware County Daily Times on Feb. 21, 2025, and copies of the notice were posted on the city's website and sent to applicants for fiscal year 2025 funding and other interested parties. The hearing was adjourned after public comment.

Votes or formal actions were not taken at the hearing; the presentation and hearing provided an opportunity for public input and established the schedule and contingencies that staff will follow when HUD issues final allocation amounts.