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City hears staff plan for 2026 CDBG and HOME allocations, public comment opens
Summary
City staff presented the 2026 Community Development Block Grant and HOME annual action plan, detailing recommended allocations and program caps; staff noted slight decreases from last year and opened a 30-day HUD comment period ending May 21. Public commenters urged more direct homeowner assistance and defended nonprofit capacity.
City staff presented the 2026 annual action plan for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program at the April 21 Lawrence City Commission meeting and opened a public hearing and 30-day HUD comment period.
Dani Walters, planning and development services, and Brad Carr, community development analyst, outlined the funding the city will work with for the 2026 grant year (Aug. 1, 2026–July 31, 2027). Carr said the base CDBG allocation is $724,614 — about 3.7% below last year — with estimated program income of roughly $40,000 for a total working amount of $764,614. On the HOME side, Carr said the base grant is $427,115.91 (about 9.5% less than the prior year) with program income of roughly $9,900, yielding about $437,017.18 in total HOME resources.
Staff described recommended HOME uses, noting the Affordable Housing Advisory Board recommended approximately $247,000 to the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority for tenant-based rental assistance (vouchers with case management), and the CHDO set-aside and operating caps the HOME rules require. For CDBG, Carr outlined categories including administration (capped percentages), homeowner repair programs (about $276,000 recommended for repairs), public services and competitive capital awards for smaller projects.
Commissioners asked programmatic questions on eligibility and throughput. Carr said homeowner repair programs operate through two streams: an ongoing emergency program for immediate needs (HVAC, water heaters, roofs) and a comprehensive rehabilitation program that goes out to bid for larger projects. "We estimate we would help anywhere from nine to 13 homes a year," Carr said.
Public commenters used their three minutes to urge different priorities. Steven Watts urged the city to consider enabling smaller direct grants to homeowners to reduce administrative overhead and ensure funds reach residents. Risa Williams, who said she works closely with local nonprofits, defended paying staff salaries necessary to deliver services and emphasized the workload agencies carry. Walters and Carr reminded the public that written comments are accepted through May 21 and that the commission will consider final action on the plan on June 2; the city's deadline to submit the plan to HUD is June 15.
No formal decision was taken at the hearing; commissioners directed staff to continue outreach and bring the plan back for adoption in June.
