Council approves substantial amendments to HUD action plans, shifting program income to neighborhood resources and creating a new CDBG affordable housing line

The Fayetteville City Council held a public hearing on Oct. 13 and unanimously approved proposed substantial amendments to the city's HUD annual action plans for 2021, 2022 and 2025–26.

Jacqueline Abbott, community relations manager for Economic and Community Development, described the changes as necessary to shift funds between activities, add a new activity and accept newly awarded HUD funds. Abbott said the city's original HOME-ARP allocation for the 2021 plan had been $3,300,000 and that staff received a revised award notice increasing the HOME-ARP award by about $5,000 to $3,400,000. For the 2025–26 plan, Abbott said staff reconciled program income and proposed moving $180,000 of program income to increase the neighborhood resources activity budget from $460,000 to $640,000 and to move $100,000 into a newly created CDBG affordable housing activity.

Abbott said the public notice and comment period ran from Sept. 4 to Oct. 5 and that no public comments were received during that period. At the hearing there were no speakers for the amendments. After the presentation, Council moved and seconded approval of the substantial amendments; the motion carried unanimously.

Staff said next steps include posting the amended plans and moving forward with the new activity budgets. No additional details on specific development projects tied to the $100,000 CDBG allocation were presented at the hearing; staff described the new CDBG activity as intended for a small-scale cottage-style development and for neighborhood recreation improvements such as a pickleball court.