Lisa Harrison, the city’s presenter on community development, told the council on Dec. 16 that the City of Opelika’s program year 2024 Community Development Block Grant allocation from HUD was $311,003.69, and that those funds helped two first‑time homebuyers and contributed to seven home repairs. "For program year 2024, our HUD allocation was $311,003.69," Harrison said.

Harrison said the program also supported one façade renovation at the Agricola Building and provided supportive services to 2,327 people. She gave a demographic breakdown of those assisted: "Of the people assisted, 89% of those were extremely low in income and 60% were Black African American, 17% white, and 21% Hispanic," Harrison said.

On carryover and outreach, staff said the 2026 allocation had not arrived at the time of the meeting and that a shutdown had delayed processing; a prior‑year carryover will be used for home repairs in the coming months. Harrison said the city will notify residents via the utility bill when applications are being accepted and that in‑person applications are available.

Harrison also reported on historic preservation activity. She said the Historic Commission received 48 applications in the year, approved 26 through staff fast‑track and sent 22 to the commission for review. The applications included four new‑construction projects, 25 additions or alterations, and three demolitions. Harrison reported investment figures of $2,600,000 in downtown, $1,500,000 in the Geneva Historic District and $688,000 in the North Side District; the transcript contains an inconsistent combined total for those figures, which the city should clarify for a public record.

Why it matters: CDBG and historic preservation funding and projects affect housing stability, neighborhood investment and eligibility for future federal and state grants. Council members asked clarifying questions about targeted census tracts and how carryover funds would be used.

Next steps: Staff said the formal 2026 HUD allocation had not been received and that projects funded by carryover will continue into the next few months; staff will return with formal program notices when application windows open.