Killeen council opens 30-day comment period for PY2026-27 CDBG, HOME and HOME-ARP plans; resident urges better Spanish-language notices

At a special meeting of the Killeen City Council on a date not specified in the transcript, the council opened a public hearing to begin a 30-day comment period on the city's Program Year 2026'27 Annual Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) and HOME-American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funds.

Ms. McNear, a community development staff member, told the council the comment period is proposed to run from June 22 through July 28, 2026, and that the draft action plan will be posted at five city facilities and online. "Comments received on the draft will be included in the final submission to HUD," Ms. McNear said, and she urged council members not to change the proposed dates because the plan must be submitted to HUD by Aug. 15 to take effect Oct. 1, the start of the program year.

The staff presentation summarized program rules and funding. Ms. McNear said CDBG activities must meet HUD's national objectives and that HOME funds must be used for affordable housing initiatives; she described HOME-ARP'eligible activities (supportive services, acquisition and development of non-congregate shelter, affordable housing development, and tenant-based rental assistance) and identified the four HOME-ARP qualified populations the funds must target. Staff reported a CDBG entitlement of $1,437,398 for PY2026 and noted $66,637.94 in reprogrammed funds; the HOME entitlement was cited as $585,207.77, and a $126,446 forward commitment was identified for code enforcement officers. Ms. McNear also summarized the number of applications received and recommended for funding across categories.

Councilmembers asked clarifying questions. The mayor pro tem asked whether HOME-ARP'funded "non-congregate" shelters refer to individual-occupancy units; Ms. McNear responded that non-congregate shelters are intended to provide private units with separate bathrooms and kitchens rather than shared dormitory-style spaces, a policy shift that began after the pandemic to allow safer isolation when needed.

During the public-comment portion, Ana Luisa Carrillo Tapia, who identified herself as a representative of the League of United Latin American Citizens, urged the city to improve how it delivers notices about galvanized pipe/lead issues. "We're asking for those letters to have the proper addressing of the resident," Carrillo Tapia said, adding that many residents who do not speak English discard notices they cannot understand and asking that the city use CDBG funds to help needy families, especially on Killeen's north side.

Councilmember Brown asked how residents should submit written comments and whether assistance for families receiving galvanized-pipe notices would fall under HOME-ARP. Staff advised that block grant (CDBG) funding would be the most appropriate entitlement to propose for that kind of assistance and encouraged residents to submit programming suggestions rather than specifying fund sources. Staff said incoming comments will be shared with council members before the July 28 public hearing so the council can review them and consider changes that night if needed to meet HUD's timeline.

On translation and accessibility, staff noted the mailed public-works notice includes a reference to an online resource for translated versions and identified Celeste Sierra, the city's CD grants program manager, as an in-office translator who reviewed the letter. The mayor pro tem recalled earlier, lengthy discussions about the notices and confirmed that a Spanish translation resource remains available.

There was no vote on program funding or recommendations at the meeting; the council will hear additional detail and may vote on funding recommendations at the July 28 public hearing before the draft is submitted to HUD on Aug. 15. The draft action plan will go into effect at the start of the program year on Oct. 1 if approved.