Evansville releases draft 2025–2029 consolidated plan, proposes 2025 action plan and Center City NRSA

Haley Hale, community development coordinator for the City of Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development, presented the city’s draft 2025–2029 consolidated plan and the accompanying 2025 action plan and opened a 30‑day public comment period during a June presentation.

The consolidated plan sets priorities for use of the city’s federal grants — Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) — over the next five years and incorporates several background studies, including an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), a community needs assessment, a housing needs assessment (HNA), and an updated Strategic Plan to End Homelessness developed by the Commission on Homelessness (COH).

Hale said the consolidated plan is data driven and informed by community engagement and partner input. “The consolidated plan is that five‑year housing and community development strategic plan,” Hale said. The presentation summarized prior accomplishments, current needs, proposed program priorities, and draft funding allocations for program year 2025.

Why this matters: The consolidated plan determines how Evansville will use federal HUD formula funds to address affordable housing, homelessness, community services and neighborhood investment. The action plan for 2025 is the first year of the five‑year strategy and will guide city subrecipient allocations for the coming program year.

Key needs and background findings The community needs assessment received 367 survey responses and ranked nine categories of need. Housing affordability, basic needs and homelessness were identified as the top priorities. The housing needs assessment reports an overall housing gap of 6,321 units in Evansville, consisting of a rental gap of 2,907 units and a for‑sale gap of 3,414 units.

The COH strategic plan described rising homelessness in the region: more than 2,800 unique individuals experience homelessness each year in southwestern Indiana, and the point‑in‑time count recorded an all‑time high of 535 people on a single night in January 2024. COH’s stated priorities include prevention, outreach to unsheltered individuals, mental‑health‑informed shelter and housing strategies; COH’s milestones cited in the presentation include forming an active coalition structure by the end of 2025 and multi‑year reduction targets.

Fair housing and AFH Hale summarized the city’s AFH work (previously called an Analysis of Impediments). She noted that a presidential executive order terminated the AFFH rule requiring detailed AFH submissions, but said Evansville will continue fair‑housing actions and certifications. Possible strategies listed in the draft plan include zoning and tax incentives for affordable housing, landlord and tenant mediation improvements, expanded housing counseling and down payment assistance, a tenants’ council for voucher users, outreach to the Evansville Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission, and targeted fair‑housing training for appraisal and real‑estate professionals.

Funding totals and notable allocations Hale presented recent and proposed funding figures. For the 2020–2024 consolidated plan period the presentation lists CDBG receipts totaling $12,545,136. For program year 2025 the draft allocations shown in the presentation include:

- ESG: $225,602 total; subrecipient line items for homeless services total about $129,963 and rapid‑rehousing allocations total $95,639 (Aurora). Specific ESG subrecipient allocations named in the presentation include Albion (domestic violence shelter) $20,000, Aurora coordinated entry $16,000, Evansville Rescue Mission stay shelter $10,000, ECHO House of Bread and Peace $16,000, Ozanam family shelter $15,963, United Caring Services day shelter $21,000, United Caring Services Ruth House $10,000, and YWCA residential services $21,000.

- CDBG: $2,520,225 (including program income). The presentation lists public service grants (example: ARC, Aurora, St. Vincent de Paul) and many non‑public‑service projects, neighborhood and public‑facility improvements, housing rehabilitation, and code enforcement activities. Hale summarized CDBG accomplishments for 2020–2024 (owner‑occupied rehab, rental rehab, housing counseling, public facilities improvements) and noted CDBG program caps: planning/admin up to 20% of CDBG, public services capped at 15% of the CDBG grant (except when exempt in an NRSA).

- HOME: $581,355.93 for 2025, with $546,355.93 identified for home‑buyer and rental projects in the draft. The presentation noted CHDO operating set‑asides, a 10% cap on HOME administration, and that HOME awards to housing development projects are made when projects are shovel‑ready following underwriting.

Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas (NRSAs) Hale reviewed existing and proposed NRSAs. Haney’s Corner (Arts District) was created in 2011 but the city said it will not seek renewal during this consolidated plan period. The Jacobsville District NRSA remains active and overlaps other federal designations (Promise Zone, Opportunity Zone) and is the focus of a redevelopment master‑plan update. The city proposed a new Center City NRSA covering economically distressed census tracts (listed in the presentation as tracts 13, 14, 15 and part of 17); the draft estimates that 77.4% of that area’s residents qualify as low‑ or moderate‑income. Hale said the NRSA designation would allow some CDBG flexibility for area benefit calculations, scattered‑site housing counting rules, and exemptions from certain public‑service caps to leverage additional federal and local investments.

Citizen participation and timeline The presentation summarized the city’s Citizens Participation Plan (CPP) requirements: a minimum 10‑day notice for availability of key HUD documents, a 30‑day public comment period for substantial amendments (except when HUD waivers apply), accessible meeting locations and materials, and procedures for alternative public‑participation methods in emergencies. The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), a 5–7 member body appointed by the mayor, is the first stage of the proposal review process; the mayor then forwards recommendations to city council, which has final authority over allocations. Hale outlined the grant timeline: CAC presentations and deliberations occurred earlier in 2025, HUD notified the city of allocations in May 2025, council first reading was scheduled for June 9 and final reading for June 23, public comment for the consolidated plan and related documents is open through July 5, 2025, and the consolidated plan and action plan are due to HUD on July 12, 2025.

How to comment and next steps Draft documents and the presentation are posted on the City of Evansville website (evansville.in.gov/conplan or through the Department of Metropolitan Development federal programs page). Public comments are being accepted by phone, email, mail or in person; Hale provided contact information (H. Hale, hhale@evansville.in.gov, (812) 436‑7808, Room 306, Civic Center Complex). The city will respond to comments in writing; council must complete the allocation ordinance before the city can submit the action plan to HUD.

Ending The presentation covered program‑year projections, prior accomplishments and draft allocations but the city cautioned that some 2025 figures are still projected until council finalizes allocations. The public comment period remains open through July 5, 2025, and the city plans to submit the consolidated plan and 2025 action plan to HUD on July 12, 2025.