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County to complete one final CDBG housing-rehab project before closing owner-occupied program
Summary
Lancaster County staff told commissioners they assisted 14 owner-occupied households with about $420,000 in CDBG funding and will undertake one more project to reduce remaining obligations below $35,000, allowing de-obligation and transfer to a bridge fund.
County budget and fiscal officer Dennis Meyer told the board Feb. 24 that Lancaster County's owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program funded by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) originally used about $420,000 and supported 14 projects in communities including Waverly, Hickman, Firth, Bennett, Sprague and Raymond.
Meyer said the program currently has about $43,000 remaining and, following discussions with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, staff determined they must de-obligate funds to $35,000 or less before transferring remaining funds to a bridge fund. To reach that threshold, the county will undertake one more eligible project, which will bring the total assisted households to 15.
"We started out with about $420,000...the county was able to assist 14 owner-occupied households...we've kinda worked our way down to about $43,000," Meyer said. He added that the majority of projects were around $24,009 apiece.
Brent Pencraft of SEND (housing inspector) encouraged anyone who knows an eligible household in rural Lancaster County to contact SEND to discuss assistance. The board closed the public hearing; staff will amend contracts as needed and present the final closeout for board action.
Why it matters: the program preserved homeownership for low- and moderate-income residents; closing the program and transferring residual funds to a bridge fund will change how future owner-occupied needs are addressed.
Next steps: staff will identify one additional project, amend contracts to ensure eligibility and process the formal closeout and transfer once obligations meet the de-obligation threshold.
(Reporting based on sworn testimony by county staff and SEND.)
