Glendale CDBG advisory committee approves preliminary FY 2026–27 allocation plan and RFP packets

GLENDALE, Calif. — The City of Glendale’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Advisory Committee on Oct. 27 approved a preliminary funding-allocation plan for fiscal year 2026–27 and voted to release request-for-proposal (RFP) packets for public social services and capital improvement projects.

The committee approved staff’s preliminary estimate of a $1,700,000 annual entitlement for Glendale’s CDBG program for 2026–27, and directed staff to use the allocation breakdown presented: $340,000 (20%) for program administration, $255,000 (15%) for public social services (the federal cap), and about $1,100,000 (65%) for capital improvement projects to be available to community agencies. Staff noted there is no undesignated balance or return funds at this time.

The recommendation is preliminary because staff said the federal appropriations process remains unsettled. City staff reported that during congressional appropriations discussions the U.S. House proposed holding national CDBG funding near $3.3 billion while a Senate draft contemplated roughly $3.0 billion; the committee’s local estimate uses the city’s current allocation projection. Staff said final local entitlement could change after Congress and federal agencies complete appropriations and that the committee will revisit the plan if the actual grant amount differs.

Committee members discussed whether reserving the full capital share could affect nonprofits’ decisions to apply for social-services funding. One member said organizations tracking potential city-funded planning work might alter or shrink proposals if they expect some CDBG funds to be redirected to city capital projects later in the year. Staff replied that any city capital projects would be proposed only if returned/undesigned funds or other adjustments become…