Moscow City staff reported Dec. 1 that a city-conducted low-to-moderate-income (LMI) survey produced a 56.6% LMI rate, restoring Moscow’s eligibility to apply for Idaho Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

Alyssa Anderson, who led the outreach and analysis, told the council the city mailed 278 surveys with a QR-code option, sent reminder postcards, and performed door-to-door visits from Oct. 17 through Nov. 30. The city collected 301 completed surveys: 106 responses above the HUD LMI thresholds and 195 below, for an 81% response rate and a final computed LMI rate of 56.6%. "We were able to collect 301 surveys, and we came in at 56.6 low to moderate income," Anderson said.

Anderson described the survey steps required by the Idaho Department of Commerce and HUD-guided LMI definitions (for example, HUD's single‑person household threshold cited during the presentation). She said the city will submit the final report to the Department of Commerce this week and expects a certification letter; the certification, Anderson said, will hold for five years regardless of new American Community Survey data.

The city's renewed eligibility opens the door to several grant categories administered by the Department of Commerce, including public infrastructure awards (now capped at about $650,000 per project, Anderson said), downtown revitalization and community center funding. Anderson told the council one likely near-term project is a restroom at Lola Clyde Park; staff said they expect to submit that application next fall.

Council members praised the outreach work. One councilmember called the response "remarkable," and another commended Anderson and Jennifer Fleischman for their door-knocking effort. Anderson told the council door-to-door contacts accounted for 51% of responses, mailed returns 27% and online responses 16%.

Next steps: the city will file the final documentation with the Idaho Department of Commerce and await formal certification before submitting specific grant applications.