CDC presses staff for earlier notices on HUD public comment periods and clearer engagement roles

Vice Chair Achilles opened a session on Dec. 9 asking for clearer expectations around the Community Development Commission’s role in federal grant reviews and community engagement. Achilles said the CDC has recently received notices — for example, a public comment period on the CAPER and a rental housing fees survey — after agendas were finalized, leaving the commission unable to include those items formally on its meeting agendas.

Commissioners described the consequence as a missed opportunity for public engagement and urged a regular operational calendar showing the touchpoints and decision points for federal grant deliverables. Commissioner Longoria and others emphasized that HUD mandates community input for some grants and asked for clarification on which deliverables require CDC review and how staff incorporate commissioner feedback.

Staff (Austin Housing/Nefertiti Jackman) said the department has received the concerns, has held internal meetings, and will work on a longer‑term strategy to give commissioners earlier notice. Jackman said marketing and outreach staff will attend the January CDC retreat to discuss notification and outreach improvements. Staff also said they had notified organizations that applied for a canceled Project Connect solicitation and planned feedback meetings in January–February.

The commission discussed practical steps — an operational calendar, clearer timelines for required actions, and follow‑up when the CDC cannot comment in time — and commissioners volunteered to help with outreach. The conversation did not produce a formal directive but resulted in staff agreement to follow up with more regular scheduling and communication to the CDC.