McKinney advances five‑year HUD plan and 2025–26 action plan, residents press need for units at 30% AMI

The McKinney City Council on Aug. 5 approved a draft 2025–2029 consolidated plan and the city’s 2025–26 annual action plan, documents required to receive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds.

Shalita Best, McKinney’s community services administrator, and Davila Bueno, an economist with Root Policy Research, reviewed the consolidated plan’s goals, outreach and the funding expected for the coming program year — about $1.2 million in HUD funds total, with roughly $300,000–$350,000 from HOME. Bueno said the plan builds on data and community input to identify housing and community development needs and to shape annual action plans and metrics for use across the next five years.

The nut of the discussion focused on who the city should prioritize. Councilmembers and multiple public commenters singled out households at or below 30% of area median income (AMI) as the most urgent need. A council member observed that while McKinney shows a relative surplus of units at some middle‑income bands, the severe shortage is concentrated at the very lowest income tiers and among older adults on fixed incomes. Ellen Magnus, president and CEO of Family Gateway, urged coupling subsidies with workforce training and services so families stabilized by rental assistance can maintain housing.

City staff and the plan’s consultant described how HUD funds would be used if the documents are finalized: tenant‑based rental assistance through HOME funds, CDBG support for nonprofit public services and rehabilitation programs for low‑ and moderate‑income homeowners, and grant administration and monitoring. Best said the city expects to continue tenant‑based rental assistance as a second‑year program priority and to direct CDBG to social services, small‑business assistance and housing rehabilitation. The consultant reported an updated rental‑gap analysis showing approximately a 4,200‑unit shortage of rentals affordable to households earning less than $35,000 per year (data referenced to 2023 estimates) and emphasized the limits of available federal funding.

Public commenters elaborated ways to address needs: targeted tax‑credit projects for <30% AMI households, on‑site services (mental‑health and senior support), transportation links to jobs and benefit offices, and creative tenancy models (for example, multiple leases within a unit to prevent single nonpayment evictions). Lee Stark of the Wellness Center for Older Adults described a local case in which combined Social Security incomes left a household unable to afford market rents.

Council members directed staff to continue community outreach and to use the consolidated plan to inform a forthcoming, broader affordable‑housing strategy. The consolidated plan draft will be submitted to HUD on Aug. 16; public comments on the draft are being accepted through Aug. 15, 2025. The resident survey mentioned during the presentation remains open through Aug. 10. Staff said HUD will review the consolidated plan and provide final approval; annual allocations and specific subrecipient awards will be set in subsequent action plans and grant agreements.

Why it matters: HUD formula funds are limited and must be targeted to projects that primarily benefit low‑ and moderate‑income residents. Council and community leaders framed the immediate policy choice as whether to prioritize projects that serve 30% AMI households at greatest near‑term risk of homelessness or broader affordable units serving moderate incomes.

Where to comment: Written comments on the consolidated plan draft may be sent to hello@rootpolicy.com or to McKinney Housing & Community Development via contact‑communitydvp@McKinneyTexas.org. The city’s housing presentation and survey links were posted during the Aug. 5 meeting and remain available through Aug. 10.