The community development department presented a large slate of HUD- and locally-funded programs to the finance committee on Nov. 6, including demolition coordination, housing rehab, down-payment assistance and social-service grants.

Staff summarized changes to several HUD-funded accounts and said some line items were reduced because of carryover and shifting program deadlines. The department proposed increasing contractual maintenance for affordable housing so rental-assistance or other interventions can be deployed as needed, and it noted the need to spend certain pots of federal money before grant deadlines.

On programmatic items, staff described a new "Summer Passport" youth initiative that would expand AAU sports, academic activities and college tours for Gary residents and proposed funding the Northwest Indiana food bank and Meals on Wheels to support food security. Community development also said code-enforcement activity has grown and that the office is moving toward making that program more self-sustaining, but staff warned additional general-fund support or $800,000 in revenue would be needed to fully stand up an independent department.

Next steps: the department will refine budget lines tied to HUD carryover, provide revenue breakouts for code enforcement and return with ordinances and any necessary amendments.