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Oxnard committee backs amendment to 2023–24 HUD action plan to reallocate CDBG and HOME funds
Summary
The Oxnard City Community Services, Public Safety, Housing and Development Committee voted Dec. 10 to recommend that City Council approve a substantial amendment to the 2023–24 Annual Action Plan reallocating CDBG and HOME funds to address project cost overruns and to ensure federal deadlines are met.
The Oxnard City Community Services, Public Safety, Housing and Development Committee on Dec. 10 recommended that City Council conduct a public hearing and approve a substantial amendment to the fiscal year 2023–24 Annual Action Plan to reallocate Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds and authorized city staff to submit required documents to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Emilio Ramirez, director of housing, told the committee the city receives an annual HUD allocation and must adopt an Annual Action Plan each year to specify how the funds will be used. "We are required that we use the funds timely, and HUD does a timely check the beginning of May of every year," Ramirez said, adding the city is allowed to hold up to 1.5 times its annual allocation on deposit. Ramirez said the city needs to ensure it will expend about $2,600,000 by the beginning of May to remain within HUD rules and avoid returning funds.
Ramirez said the housing department has an uncommitted balance of about $1,500,000 and is proposing to allocate those funds to named projects, including Casariento and Edin Road, which are experiencing cost overruns because of higher construction and materials costs. He said about $4,200,000 in funds are currently under contract and active. "The last thing we wanna do is send money back to HUD. So we wanna spend it locally," Ramirez said.
The committee noted the proposed reallocation would direct federal CDBG and HOME monies to active affordable-housing development and related projects that serve low-income residents. Ramirez said the funds in question are eligible for those activities and that staff were seeking the committee's recommendation so the city manager could execute required applications, certifications and agreements with subrecipients; staff were also authorized to adjust activity funding up to 10% if needed to meet program objectives.
The item was presented pursuant to Measure M via a prerecorded presentation on the city's YouTube channel; no members of the public spoke either in person or virtually for the item. Mayor Zaragoza moved approval of the staff recommendation; Member Madrigal seconded. The clerk recorded aye votes from Member Madrigal, Member Zaragoza and the chair; the motion passed.
Committee members and the chair thanked Ramirez and housing staff for their ongoing work administering HUD-funded projects. The committee recommended City Council conduct the public hearing and consider approving the substantial amendment and the related authorizations at a future council meeting.
