Richland County advances 2026 HUD action plan and approves several procurement items

Richland County Council voted to approve a draft 2026 annual action plan for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding and passed a set of routine procurement measures at its meeting. Staff said the plan prioritizes rental assistance, affordable housing activities and a signature minor home repair program.

Staff presenter Ms. German summarized public-comment themes from a 30-day period, saying residents and nonprofits emphasized affordable housing, rental assistance, supports for seniors aging in place, hotel-based homeless families in need of services, and local infrastructure needs such as a walking trail at Pine Grove Community Center and a sidewalk on Fairford Road. She said the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) line in the proposed budget is $1.78 million and noted that 20% of the award supports staff expenses.

Ms. German highlighted the county’s minor home repair program, Operation One Touch, which serves roughly 20 houses per year in unincorporated areas and currently uses HUD limits of about $24,000 per house. She said a potential partnership with State Housing (noted in materials as an option raised by Mr. Jack Super from State Housing) could expand repairs to up to $75,000 per house, allow work on mobile homes and broaden the service area; any shift in funding would require an amendment to the HUD plan later in the year.

On rental assistance, staff recommended directing public-services funding toward local nonprofit rental-assistance programs in response to high demand. Staff also proposed using $300,000 of HUD funds to acquire 12 houses tied to the Columbia Housing Project and said program income from rehabbed and sold units could be cycled back into rental assistance (15% of program income) and subsequent housing rehab projects.

The county proposed increasing HOME down-payment assistance funding to $400,000 to expand its existing program. Staff described the county’s ESG (Emergency Solutions Grant) match approach for homeless services as a small automatic match for providers awarded state ESG funds.

Public hearings on the HUD action plan were scheduled for next Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the building where the meeting was held; staff said the county plans a final vote on the plan on July 14.

Votes at a glance

- Item 4A — Draft HUD 2026 Annual Action Plan: Approved on roll call (Pugh, Little, Livingston, Weaver, Aline: yes). The vote moves the draft to public display and the scheduled hearings. (Motion text: “approve the draft annual action plan for HUD.”)

- Item 4B — Purchase and installation of modular office unit for Public Works: Approved on roll call (Pugh, Little, Livingston, Weaver, Aline: yes). Staff described a total project budget of $300,000 and a purchase price (including delivery and installation) of $260,350.21; remaining funds will cover utilities and furniture.

- Item 4C — St. Andrews sidewalk construction award to AOS Specialty Contractors: Approved on roll call (Pugh, Little, Livingston, Weaver, Aline: yes). Staff recommended award for $239,586.25 with an 11.69% contingency for a reported total of $267,593.88 to construct sidewalks on a route used by children.

- Item 4D — Contract with Sustainable Finishes for window gasket and wet-seal replacement at county buildings (2020 Hepinstall Street): Approved on roll call (Pugh, Little, Livingston, Weaver, Aline: yes). The contract amount is $176,574.40; staff cited repeated water infiltration and that the last work was performed in 2014.

Why this matters

HUD funding and how the county spends CDBG, HOME and ESG grants affect affordable housing, rental-assistance capacity, minor repairs that keep residents safely housed, and facilities used by nonprofits. The council’s actions enable staff to begin public outreach and procurement actions tied to the 2026 program year while retaining the option to amend allocations in the fall if a state partnership or program income changes priorities.

What’s next

The draft plan will be on display with public hearings next Wednesday; staff will return amendments and a final ordinance for a July 14 vote on the HUD plan. Procurement and contract awards approved tonight will proceed according to the terms approved by the council.