Ogden council hears proposed HUD plan amendment, CAPER report and budget reallocations

Ogden City staff on Tuesday asked the City Council to approve an amendment to the five‑year consolidated plan and the fiscal 2026 annual action plan that would shift and increase federal and city housing funds aimed at expanding homeownership and neighborhood repairs.

Kathy Fuentes, who identified herself as a Community Development division representative, told the council the OnOgden down‑payment assistance program would see its HOME budget rise "to $600,000," an increase that Fuentes said would let the program help roughly 50 low‑ to moderate‑income homebuyers in the coming year. "We're increasing our goals to 50 down payment assistance loans for the year," she said.

The amendment would also reallocate 15 percent of HOME CHDO (Community Housing Development Organization) funds to a single‑family infill project at 2217 Madison, with a city contribution of $158,520 toward that build, Fuentes said. The city would increase its housing purchase/rehab/resell line from about $2.9 million to $3.7 million and set a goal of five renovated homes for the year. Non‑HUD municipal housing assistance (the HELP program) would rise to $1.6 million with a 30‑loan goal.

Fuentes said some of the amendments reflect program income and unspent carryover rather than new federal allocations: "We did increase the budget by 1,300,000.0, and most of that is increase in program income of 700,000 and about a half 1,000,000 of carryover." She explained that entitlement funding is held at the U.S. Treasury and the city is reimbursed as costs are reported, while program income is received directly and can be reinvested.

Staff also proposed carrying forward an already‑underway CDBG‑CV (CARES Act) target‑area public improvements project and asked the council to allocate $500,000 of CDBG‑CV funds to sidewalk and public‑realm repairs to serve more than 15,000 residents.

Fuentes placed the program changes in the context of a new HUD rule on affordability periods: for direct homebuyer assistance at $25,000 or less the period of affordability is now five years. "This is the new rule published by HUD, so it will be implemented by us," she said, adding that the city enforces affordability via loan agreements and trust deeds.

Fuentes also presented the city's Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for fiscal 2025. Her CAPER figures included CDBG receipts of $2,677,234 with $1,400,007.53 expended (leaving a HUD balance reported to council), HOME receipts of $1,502,900 with $1,042,005.36 expended, and HOME‑ARP beginning funding of about $1.565 million with $382,001.99 expended. Program outputs Fuentes highlighted included 53 homebuyers assisted with down‑payment support, completion of a CHDO infill project at 2809 Jackson, three completed emergency home repairs and multiple microenterprise and small‑business supports.

Council members asked about tracking affordability and recapture when a property sells; Fuentes said the city records a trust deed and recoups funds at closing so the proceeds return to the housing program. Several council members raised the HELP program as a high‑demand line item and asked staff to continue exploring state pilot funds and other sources to expand it.

The ordinance removing the Citizens Advisory Committee's sunset provision — part of the same set of HUD compliance items — was noted as being on the evening consent agenda and will require a roll‑call vote during the council meeting. No formal council vote occurred in the work session.

What happens next: staff said the public comment period for the plan amendment runs through Dec. 14, with a public hearing scheduled Dec. 16 before submission to HUD and a fiscal year end of June 30. The council will consider the ordinance and budget amendment at the formal meeting later the same evening.