The Shoreline City Council voted 4-1 on Oct. 27 to adopt the city'026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding plan and to reprogram $50,909 of prior-year CDBG funds, restoring services for the Minor Home Repair program and allocating a small contribution toward an affordable housing acquisition project.

The vote matters because CDBG funds carry federal requirements and limited local flexibility; staff said adopting the plan restarts a program that had paused this year and helps a nonprofit housing acquisition project gain a tax exemption necessary to preserve affordability.

City staff told the council there is an estimated $320,000 available for Shoreline in CDBG funding for 2026, plus $50,909 in unprogrammed 2025 CDBG dollars. Under the city
nd King County interlocal agreement, staff reported that 25% of the allocation must support a major home repair loan program, 5% must go to housing stability (rent/mortgage assistance), roughly 12% is reserved for King County administration, and 10% is city planning/administration, leaving about $153,600 for local programming in a typical year.

Staff recommended (Option 1) using $130,000 of the local programming allocation for the Minor Home Repair program and $23,600 for an affordable housing acquisition project identified in the staff report. For the reprogrammed $50,909, staff recommended adding $40,000 to the 2025 Minor Home Repair contract and adding $10,909 to 2026 funding, figures staff said would allow Minor Home Repair to resume. Staff noted the Minor Home Repair program served 43 households in 2024 and had served 49 households by July 2025 before pausing for lack of funds.

Emily Jones, director of the Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Activity Center, told the council during public comment that she used the Minor Home Repair service recently for a leaking dishwasher line and called the program
rucial
id for older homeowners. Jones said a client of the senior center, age 79, is among those affected and urged the council to restore funding.

Councilmembers debated two options. Supporters of Option 1 said the modest contribution to the affordable housing acquisition leverages a state tax exemption that staff said is critical to keeping about 110 units deed-restricted to 60% of area median income (AMI) for a minimum of 10 years; staff estimated the two-building purchase price at roughly $20 million and characterized the cityontribution as a relatively small financial commitment to secure long-term affordable units.

Opponents argued more dollars should go to direct financial assistance for residents facing eviction or utility shutoffs. Councilmember Ramsdale said he preferred Option 2, citing conversations with Hopelink staff who reported increased demand: staff at Hopelink told the council their financial assistance caseload had dropped from roughly 14lients per month to 4lients per month because funds had run out earlier in the year. Ramsdale said the need for rental and utility assistance in Shoreline remains large and that the $32,000 figure in Option 2 could serve more households than staffstimated.

Staff cautioned the council that CDBG funding is constrained by HUD regulations and the interlocal agreement with King County; reallocating unprogrammed dollars to a different program year or purpose could require an amendment to King County ocuments and would be administratively difficult this late in the year. Staff said that if council wanted to increase direct financial assistance beyond what is allowable within the CDBG constraints, the mid-biennial budget process (mid-buget) would be a more practical avenue using city general funds.

The motion to adopt the 2026 CDBG funding plan and to reprogram the 2025 CDBG contingency funds (staff
ttachment A) passed 4-1. The roll call as read by the clerk was: Deputy Mayor Mark, Aye; Council Member Ramsdell, Nay; Council Member Scully, Aye; Council member Aramasu, Aye; Mayor Roberts, Aye.

Councilmembers who opposed the motion said they supported preserving the Minor Home Repair program but wanted more direct financial assistance capacity for residents at imminent risk of housing loss.

The council authorized the city manager to execute agreements with the applicable agencies for the funded programs as described in the staff report. Staff said the city would monitor service capacity and could request additional general-fund support for direct financial assistance during the mid-biennial budget process if council wished.

Notes: staff emphasized that CDBG program rules, HUD reporting requirements and the interlocal agreement with King County limit how quickly and how the city can reprogram funds; staff also noted the affordable housing acquisition project would use a state tax exemption tied to a recorded deed restriction to maintain units at 60% AMI for at least 10 years.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion: Adopt 2026 CDBG funding plan and reprogram 2025 CDBG contingency funds per Attachment A; authorize city manager agreements with applicable agencies.
- Motion outcome: Approved, 4-1.
- Vote tally: Yes 4 (Deputy Mayor Mark; Council Member Scully; Council member Aramasu; Mayor Roberts); No 1 (Council Member Ramsdell); Abstain 0.