Shoreline council approves 2026 CDBG plan, restores minor home repair funding in 4-1 vote

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…