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Planning commission recommends council adopt draft CDBG and HOME Annual Action Plan
Summary
The Charlottesville Planning Commission voted to recommend City Council accept the draft one‑year Annual Action Plan and the review team’s funding recommendations for the CDBG and HOME programs after staff outlined funding allocations and constraints, including modest federal increases and one unallocated HOME balance.
The Charlottesville Planning Commission on April 14 recommended that City Council accept the city’s draft one‑year Annual Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships programs and the review team’s draft funding recommendations.
Patrick (city housing staff) told commissioners that the city expects a modest increase from HUD—CDBG up about 4.37% (to roughly $464,924) and HOME up about 7.79% (to roughly $740,545)—and that staff had used prior-year awards to build preliminary recommendations. “Very proud to say that we have a first‑time applicant that was recommended for funding this year,” the presenter said, noting the review team sought to expand the pool of eligible nonprofit partners.
The review team’s recommended slate includes programmatic set‑asides for planning and administration, public‑facilities/infrastructure priorities and a local‑match accounting approach that uses the city’s existing affordable‑housing activity to satisfy HOME local match rules. Staff explained HUD rules that cap public‑service activities (the most requested category) at 15% of a locality’s annual allocation, which constrained awards for some providers.
Commissioners pressed staff on several allocation choices: why resident‑led redevelopment requests were not funded this round; why the International Rescue Committee (IRC) was not recommended for funding in the public‑services pot; and how the review team handled an unallocated HOME balance of approximately $55,000. Staff explained that IRC’s scope overlapped substantially with local groups that rely on locally generated operating budgets and that the 15% cap and the size of requests required prioritization. The $55,000 was left unallocated to allow CRHA or other applicants time to refine plans that could meet HUD timeliness and viability requirements.
During deliberations Commissioner (speaker 3) moved the commission recommend Council accept the draft Annual Action Plan and the commission’s funding recommendations. On a roll call the motion carried with a majority in favor and one commissioner recorded as not voting/‘pass’. The commission will forward its recommendation and the public comments to City Council and to the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission as part of the local approval steps before submission to HUD.
What’s next: the draft plan will be available for a 30‑day public comment period on the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission website; staff said the plan will go to City Council for public hearings and final local approval before submission to HUD.
