Great Northern presents CDBG guidance; council hears options for acquisition, planning and assistance programs

Brandy, Community Development Manager with Great Northern Services, gave an overview of California’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) round and how the state is administering HUD funding for non‑entitlement jurisdictions. She said the state allocation for the year had fallen to $27,000,000 from $36,000,000 the prior year and the application window moved to February–April.

Brandy summarized eligible activities (acquisition, administration and planning, economic development, housing rehabilitation, public improvements and public services) and said this year’s awards will be competitive with scoring weighted toward need, readiness, capacity and past performance; jurisdictions that have not been awarded before may receive priority points.

The staff explained the meaning of 'shovel ready'—completed NEPA/NEPA environmental work, plans and specs, site control, permits and bid readiness—and warned that planning grants that do not start work within five years may require repayment. Council and members of the public asked whether acquisition could be used to buy properties such as an inn and convert them to workforce housing; Brandy said acquisition is an allowable activity and other HUD income‑qualification rules would apply.

Council and public also discussed subsistence-payment programs and senior snow-removal services previously run with emergency funding; staff clarified that some assistance programs are time-limited (e.g., three months of subsistence payment assistance per household under certain grants) and that jurisdictions can design programs but must plan for closeout timelines.