Holyoke committee endorses FY2026 CDBG recommendations, approves housing, demolition and public-service allocations
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Summary
The DGR committee recommended FY2026 CDBG allocations including $235,856 for Holyoke CDC NIP, $235,855 for revitalized roof program, $200,000 for demolition, and a slate of public-service awards; it also approved a 20% admin/planning allocation and recommended acceptance of HOME funds to the council.
Alicia Zoller, community development director, and finance manager Zaida Hoyt briefed the DGR committee on Feb. 23 on the FY2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) process and asked the committee to recommend allocations for submission to HUD.
Zoller outlined that the city groups proposals into non-public-service projects (infrastructure, housing, public facilities), public services, and administration/planning, and that HUD caps public services at 15% and admin/planning at 20% of the annual award. Using prior-year estimates while final HUD numbers are pending, staff proposed allocations that the committee considered and approved by motion.
Key approvals included $235,856 for the Holyoke CDC Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP) and $235,855 for a Revitalized CDC roof program; a motion to allocate $100,000 for a façade improvement program and a $200,000 demolition line for the Building Department also passed. On public services, the committee approved $35,000 for the Greater Holyoke YMCA energy improvements, $40,000 for Access Care Partners meal delivery to older adults, $50,000 for Margaret's Food Pantry (Providence Ministries) and $25,000 for Kate's Kitchen evening meals. The remaining $62,072 in public-service funds was allocated primarily to the Holyoke Council on Aging senior meal program ($60,000) and $2,072 to a back-to-school event for youth, following staff explanation that a small youth allocation helps meet HUD beneficiary documentation requirements.
The committee also approved a recommendation to allocate up to $236,092 (20% estimate) for administration and planning and voted to recommend acceptance of the CDBG and HOME grants; the committee conducted a remote roll-call vote on the HOME resolution with all members voting in favor.
Zoller told the committee that staff will likely return with a reprogramming request in a few weeks to adjust allocations once final HUD awards arrive and to reflect new HUD conditions that affected some public-service providers' ability to meet documentation requirements.
