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Advocates urge Beaumont to set aside ProHousing funds for nonprofit capacity building
Summary
During a public hearing on the city's FY2024 ProHousing application, a HUD‑certified counseling agency urged the council to carve out capacity‑building funds for nonprofit partners to strengthen affordable housing development and avoid competition with for‑profit developers.
The Beaumont City Council held a public hearing Oct. 1 on the city's fiscal year 2024 application for the ProHousing (Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing) grant. A representative from a HUD‑certified counseling agency urged the council not to overlook local nonprofit organizations and proposed carving out capacity‑building funding to help them compete for properties and sustain affordable housing efforts after grant funds are expended.
The speaker said, "Investing in community organizations allows them to be less dependent on city funding and assist them in being self‑sufficient so that they can operate and compete for properties against investors and for‑profit developers." The presenter noted the agency's 15‑year history of homebuyer education and counseling and provided council with accomplishments and suggested program priorities.
The public hearing was brief and closed at the end of comments. Council did not vote on the grant application during the hearing; the city manager moved the meeting into a work session where other agenda items were discussed.
What comes next: City staff will incorporate public input into the application process and the council may consider fund‑allocation details in future agenda items or work sessions.
