Longmont approves $184,712 HOME grant swap to fund Habitat Rogers Road shovel-ready project

Longmont City Council on Jan. 13 approved staff’s request to reallocate a 2023 HOME Program award of $184,712 from the Sunset Duplexes project to Habitat for Humanity’s Rogers Road development because the Rogers Road project is further along and considered shovel-ready.

Christy Wiseman, the city’s housing investment manager, told council staff, Boulder and Habitat are aligned on the swap. She said concentrating federal HOME funds on the project that is furthest along would streamline HUD monitoring and procurement compliance required under 2 CFR 200. “One project will get all of the funding, and so the same requirements still have to be met anyway,” Wiseman said.

Council members asked whether the Sunset Duplexes project would be left short; Wiseman said the Sunset project is further behind in planning and could return with updated pro forma information if it requests additional funding later. The motion to approve the allocation amendment was made by Mayor Pro Tem McCoy, seconded by Council Member Crist, and carried unanimously.

Next step: staff to execute grant-amendment paperwork and work with Habitat to finalize the award and related federal compliance steps.