Staff releases HOME/CDBG draft action plan, seeks public comment on housing and down‑payment assistance

Melissa McN, community grants administrator, presented the draft Provo/Utah Valley HOME and CDBG annual action plan and the citizen committee funding recommendations. HUD’s final allocations adjusted the totals slightly: roughly $1.13 million in CDBG and $1.528 million in HOME funds for the local consortium. Combined with program income and reprogrammed funds, staff reported about $3.9 million in funds to program for affordable housing, public services, and capital grants.

Staff described the application, interview and citizen scoring process used to vet proposals and recommended awards. Notable programmatic directions include continued support for tenant‑based rental assistance and transitional programs, funding for community providers (refuge, health centers), and increased emphasis on homebuyer assistance programs: countywide “Loan to Own” and a Provo‑specific “Home Purchase Plus” product to incentivize living in Provo with larger down‑payment assistance amounts.

Staff said the public comment period is open and two public hearings are scheduled (an April hearing and the final June hearing before council adoption); the plan will be formally submitted to HUD after council approval and standard HUD certification steps.

Councilors and staff discussed point‑in‑time counts of individuals experiencing homelessness and rising counts of unhoused families; Melissa noted growing demand for housing interventions and the consortium’s role in targeting funds toward re‑housing and down‑payment programs.

Comments on the draft plan may be submitted via the posted online draft or directly to staff per contact details on the city website.