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City manager's CDBG amendment would streamline goals; staff proposes down-payment assistance pilot with Habitat for Humanity
Summary
CDBG manager Tiara Hardaway proposed consolidating the city's CDBG goals and a new down payment assistance option tied to a Habitat for Humanity build; she outlined FY2026 allocations and said the draft action plan and amendments must be submitted to HUD by Aug. 15.
Tiara Hardaway, the city's CDBG manager, presented a proposed amendment to the 2025-2029 consolidated plan and the fiscal year 2025 action plan, saying the change would "streamline our goals" from eight activity categories into five broader goals without changing funding priorities.
Hardaway outlined the proposed FY2026 allocations and described program priorities. She said HUD funding combined with program income and carryover would be directed mainly to affordable housing and rehab ($425,000), with $111,000 for public facilities, $65,000 for public services, and $86,000 for planning and administration. "For 2026, which will start 10/01/2026, HUD will be providing us with $433,000.358," Hardaway said in the presentation packet and during the briefing.
Hardaway proposed a new down payment assistance option to support a local Habitat for Humanity build. She described a partnership in which the city would use $75,000 from the current grant and $75,000 from the 2026 grant (total $150,000) to support closing costs or down-payment assistance for several homes in the project; she also said she was proposing an individual cap of "to 50,000" per household and that the figure could be adjusted. Commissioners pressed on how the city's assistance would differ from Seminole County's SHIP-funded program; Hardaway said the county's SHIP funds are used for construction while the city's proposed assistance would help families at the final closing stage.
Hardaway said outreach included a June 26 draft release, a 30-day comment period, and two public hearings (June 16 advisory committee and June 21). She told commissioners that if the Commission approves the action plan and amendments tonight, staff must submit them to HUD by the August 15 deadline for HUD approval. Hardaway also said staff had received requests for more nonprofit support and for homeless-prevention funding and that staff would continue to evaluate how CDBG can address those requests.
The Commission asked operational questions about program design and outreach; no formal vote was recorded in the transcript of this work session.
