Fargo planning director presents draft 2026 HUD action plan; public urges eviction aid and housing production targets

Nicole Crutchfield, the City of Fargo planning director, presented a draft 2026 HUD action plan at a public input meeting and opened a 30-day comment period on the proposal, which the city expects to take to a public hearing scheduled for May 26 and two readings at the City Commission before submission to HUD in late summer.

Crutchfield said Fargo’s allocation for the program year is roughly $1,400,000, split between Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership funds, and described several proposed programs and priorities that reflect a five-year consolidated plan: tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA), housing rehabilitation in older neighborhoods, homelessness outreach, targeted public-infrastructure improvements in low- and moderate-income areas and expanded fair-housing services. “We’re starting our action plan…we’re always about a year behind the calendar year,” Crutchfield said, describing the timing and the federal funding cycle.

On specific program ideas, Crutchfield said the city is developing a five-year TBRA program in partnership with SENCA and that policies and procedures are still being finalized; she said no program dollars have yet been spent for the TBRA activity. The city also plans to reintroduce a housing-rehabilitation program by partnering with SENCA to identify qualified contractors for work in older neighborhoods.

Crutchfield described a new alley-repaving pilot aimed at Madison and other older neighborhoods that would shift initiation and financing away from individual homeowners on fixed incomes. She framed the pilot as a way to scale projects so contractors can meet federal procurement and labor requirements such as Buy America and Davis-Bacon provisions. The plan also includes continued street outreach by the public-health harm-reduction team and anticipated changes as the Downtown Engagement Center moves to 1st Avenue.

Community members used the public-comment period to press the city on gaps they see in the housing system. Victoria Johnson of Families United for Self Empowerment urged stronger links between housing funding and the legal system, saying evictions and landlord practices make it difficult for clients to rehouse. “You can’t solve homelessness when this kind of problem…is the biggest problem that’s causing homelessness,” Johnson said, describing clients who are housed in hotels or blocked from renting because eviction records remain on reports.

A public commenter and other speakers highlighted that local landlord-tenant protections are limited. In response, Crutchfield cautioned that HUD rules limit how CDBG and HOME dollars may be used and that certain legal-service or direct-service activities are not eligible under the city’s HUD allocations. “With the money that we have allocated for HUD, we actually can’t even use this money for that,” she said, urging collaboration with Legal Services and noting separate state-level funding that has supported legal aid in Fargo.

Beyond Shelter’s Dan Madler recommended the plan include explicit housing production goals and to dedicate a meaningful share of CDBG and HOME dollars to long-term affordable housing development. Madler described Beyond Shelter’s portfolio and resident needs to illustrate the demand: 406 affordable senior units serving 423 residents, average resident age 73 and average annual income about $22,500.

Kelly Gores of High Plains Fair Housing Center and Rooted Access Consulting urged that fair-housing work be incorporated across all funding priorities and called for education, technical assistance for providers and measurable tracking of fair-housing outcomes and disparities.

Tricia Pearson asked the city to require performance-based metrics and transparent annual reporting from nonprofits that receive public funds, and she urged mechanisms to reallocate funding or take corrective action when providers fail to meet agreed standards.

Crutchfield closed the formal session by asking whether anyone else wanted to speak and inviting written comments and one-on-one discussion with staff after the meeting. The city will publish the draft action plan for a 30-day comment period, hold the May 26 public hearing during that window, take two City Commission readings and aim to submit the final plan to HUD in late summer after incorporating public comments.