Richland County presents draft 2026 Annual Action Plan, outlines HUD funding priorities

Callison Brawl, Richland County community development division manager, presented the draft 2026 Annual Action Plan at a public hearing and described how the county proposes to use three U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships grant and the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG).

The plan, required by HUD and subject to a 30-day public comment period, covers projects and programs to serve low- and moderate-income residents in unincorporated areas of Richland County. Brawl said the CDBG is the largest grant at $1.78 million, with 20% proposed for staff and administration and 15% set aside for public services. "Our community development office is fully funded by HUD," Brawl said, and the county intends to prioritize investments that serve households at the 30% and 50% area median income bands.

Brawl laid out proposed CDBG budget priorities: $550,000 is proposed for Operation One-Touch, the county’s minor home repair program to serve low- and moderate-income homeowners; $300,000 is proposed to support affordable housing development through a partnership with Columbia Housing Authority to disposition, rehabilitate and resell 50 single-family homes to eligible buyers; and $38,000 is proposed for smaller infrastructure and facility projects such as shelters or community centers. Brawl said the county plans to put the public-services set-aside into subsistence payments—rent, mortgage and utility assistance—and will seek partner organizations to distribute those funds.

On program income and reinvestment, Brawl said the county expects an estimated $750,000 to $1,000,000 to return through the Columbia Housing partnership and described a plan to reinvest proceeds from CDBG-COVID-funded housing rehabilitations (the county is investing $1.6 million of CDBG-COVID money into that effort). "For each house that sells, we're recommending that 15% be set aside to support rent and utility assistance and the remaining funds be reinvested into the next house that needs rehabilitation," Brawl said.

The county also described HOME grant uses, highlighting a down-payment assistance program (called ARAP) that can provide up to $24,500 per eligible household in unincorporated areas and in the town of Blewood. For ESG, Brawl said the county will rely on continuum-of-care members to apply for state ESG funds and provide a small county match when awards are made, an approach intended to reduce duplicate administrative burdens; ESG-funded activities would include rapid rehousing, homeless prevention, HMIS, street outreach and emergency shelter support.

Brawl listed prior CDBG-funded projects to illustrate impact, including sewer rehabilitation, ADA upgrades at a day center operated by Transitions, Hopkins Park pool repairs, acquisition and renovation of a former church into a community center, minor rehabs at Sistercare women’s shelter and Richland County First Steps sites, and the Homeless No More Community Center on Two Notch Road. Brawl said the draft plan is on display in the Community Development Office and on the county website and that the county will issue Notices of Funding Availability and information sessions—expected around August—to solicit proposals from county departments, nonprofits and faith-based organizations.

Brawl provided locations and deadlines for comment: a hard copy is available on the third floor of 2020 Hampton Street and the plan is on the county website at richlandcounty.gov/communitydevelopment. Brawl said the plan would be on display until July 13 and later stated that public comment would be accepted through July 10; the presentation did not resolve that discrepancy. Once county council approves the plan, the county will submit it to HUD; Brawl said funds are expected to arrive on October 1.

The presentation emphasized the county's priority areas—affordable housing, assistance for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, services for people with special needs, facilities and infrastructure improvements in distressed areas, and economic advancement programs—and invited public feedback through the county's website.