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Carlsbad Housing Commission recommends City Council review draft CDBG priorities for 2025–2030
Summary
The commission voted to forward draft priorities for the City’s 2025–2030 Community Development Block Grant consolidated plan — emphasizing affordable housing, shelter capacity at La Posada, and fair housing services — and approved a schedule leading to City Council hearings and a HUD submission deadline in May 2025.
The Carlsbad Housing Commission on Oct. 10 voted to recommend that City Council approve draft priorities for the City’s 2025–2030 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) consolidated plan, centering on affordable housing, homelessness and fair housing services.
Christian Gutierrez, housing services manager, told commissioners the consolidated plan is a five‑year strategy required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that identifies housing and community development needs and guides how CDBG funds are used. "This plan will guide the city's priorities from 2025 to 2030," Gutierrez said.
Consultant Cindy Blott of RSG summarized allowable CDBG activities and past local uses, and reported the city received about $579,728 in CDBG funds in the last HUD fiscal year. Blott outlined the consolidated plan’s three core components — a needs assessment, market analysis and an annual action plan — and described the CAPER (Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report) that documents how CDBG funds were spent each year.
Dominique Clark of RSG presented the draft priorities staff and consultants identified from outreach and data collection. The "highest need" priorities are: to produce and preserve affordable housing (for sale and rental); to address homelessness by increasing shelter capacity and supportive services including job training and case management; and to expand fair housing services focused on rights awareness and access. A "medium need" priority is to increase supportive services for vulnerable groups such as seniors and low‑income families (health care, transportation and job training).
Clark also laid out the schedule: the draft priorities would go to City Council for a public hearing on Nov. 19, 2024 if the commission approves them; a notice of funding availability (NOFA) would be released between November and January; staff will present a draft consolidated plan and funding recommendations to the commission in March; two public hearings at City Council are planned in April; and the consolidated plan is targeted for submission to HUD by May 1, 2025.
Commissioners asked for access to the underlying survey data and for RSG to flag "outlier" responses that might identify needs not captured in the topline results. RSG said it has raw survey data and can work with staff to provide a concise, two‑page summary highlighting notable items and any written submissions.
Chair Collins asked whether the homelessness priority referred specifically to La Posada, which commissioners understood to be the city’s only shelter. Staff confirmed La Posada is the only shelter in Carlsbad and that city council has directed staff to explore expansion options at that site.
The commission voted to adopt a resolution recommending City Council approve the draft FY2025–2030 consolidated plan priorities; the motion passed with four yes votes and one absence (Commissioner Berger). The draft priorities will be forwarded to the City Council for the announced public hearing date.
The commission also approved ministerial minutes from July 11, 2024 earlier in the meeting.
